MADRID: Spanish prosecutors will appeal against the four-and-a-half year sentence handed to former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves for rape and seek a longer jail term, judicial sources said Friday.
Alves was sentenced on February 22 after being convicted of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
The 40-year-old footballer was also handed five years’ probation after serving his jail sentence and ordered to pay the victim 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation.
Prosecutors had called for him to be jailed for nine years followed by 10 years of probation.
One of the world’s most decorated footballers, who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Alves insisted the sex was consensual.
Immediately after the sentence, his lawyers said they would appeal.
The victim, who testified behind a screen to protect her identity, said Alves had violently forced her to have sex in a private bathroom of the nightclub despite her begging him to release her, causing her “anguish and terror,” prosecutors said.
Police officers who later came to the nightclub told the court about the woman’s state of agitation and “shock” as well as her anxiety that “nobody would believe her” if she filed a complaint.
In sentencing him, the Barcelona court said: “The victim did not consent and there is evidence that, beyond the complainant’s testimony, permits the rape to be considered proven.
“The court considers as proven the fact that the defendant abruptly grabbed the complainant, threw her to the ground and penetrated her vaginally, preventing her from moving, while the complainant said no and wanted to leave,” it said.
Alves’ lawyers had argued that the victim had been “glued” to the player while dancing at the nightclub, saying there was “sexual tension” between them.
But in its 61-page decision, the court said that did not mean “that she consented to anything that might have subsequently happened.”
In October 2022, Spain’s parliament passed the “only yes means yes” law which tightened the criminal code on sexual violence by requiring explicit consent for sexual acts.
The move — which had long been demanded by assault survivors and women’s rights groups — removed the requirement for rape victims to prove they were subjected to violence or intimidation.
It sought to shift the focus away from the victims’ resistance to a woman’s free and clearly expressed consent. It was amended six months later to close a loophole.
Spain prosecutors to demand longer rape sentence for Brazil star Alves
https://arab.news/4ab89
Spain prosecutors to demand longer rape sentence for Brazil star Alves
- Alves was sentenced on February 22 after being convicted of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022
- Prosecutors had called for him to be jailed for nine years followed by 10 years of probation
Yamal penalty rescues Barca from defeat at Newcastle
- The Liga champions still have work to do when the sides meet again on March 18, but will leave Tyneside relieved after a sub-par performance from Hansi Flick’s side
NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: Lamine Yamal’s penalty with the last kick of the game rescued Barcelona from defeat at Newcastle in a 1-1 Champions League last 16, first leg draw on Tuesday.
The Magpies were headed for a night to savour at St. James’ Park when Harvey Barnes opened the scoring on 86 minutes.
Yamal had been a peripheral figure but showed the composure of one of the world’s best players from the spot after Dani Olmo was tripped by Malick Thiaw deep into stoppage time.
The Liga champions still have work to do when the sides meet again on March 18, but will leave Tyneside relieved after a sub-par performance from Hansi Flick’s side.
Newcastle’s bid to make the quarter-finals for the first time was dealt a blow before kick-off when Anthony Gordon was forced to start on the bench due to illness.
Only Kylian Mbappe has scored more than Gordon’s 10 Champions League goals this season and the England international’s threat was badly missed as Newcastle a[pplied early pressure.
Eddie Howe had billed this game as the biggest in the club’s history and the desire to make amends for a FA Cup exit to Manchester City and a dissapointing Premier League season showed.
Howe made a bold choice with Gordon’s replacement as William Osula came in at the expense of club record signing Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa up front.
Osula’s pace troubled Barca’s high defensive line early on, but Newcastle’s best attempt to break the deadlock before half-time came from a corner.
Joan Garcia spilled his attempt to save Sandro Tonali’s header and needed to be rescued by a goal-line clearance from Pau Cubarsi.
The home side continued to press for a breakthrough in the second period.
Anthony Elanga should have picked out Barnes for a simple finish when his low cross was cut out by Garcia.
It took nearly 70 minutes for the visitors to create a clear sight of goal when Robert Lewandowski prodded wide from Raphinha’s cross.
That was Lewandowski’s final act as he was replaced by Marcus Rashford, who scored twice when the sides met at St. James’ Park in the League Phase.
Howe also turned to his bench in search of a winner with Gordon among those introduced.
The offside flag came to Barca’s aid when Joelinton thought he had opened the scoring after Barnes struck the post.
The visitors’ desire just to see the game out at 0-0 was evidenced when Ronald Araujo tried to hold up play by rolling back on the field after going down injured.
Italian referee Marco Guida refused to let the Uruguayan defender immediately back onto the field and Newcastle took full advantage as Barnes was unmarked at the back post, where Araujo should have been, to convert Jacob Murphy’s cross.
Much of Newcastle’s fine work was undone by one mistake as Thiaw flicked out a leg to bring down the jinking Olmo inside the box.
Yamal coolly sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to leave Newcastle needing heroics in the Camp Nou next week to reach the last eight.
