The attorney representing the woman who was assaulted by disgraced ex-Barcelona footballer Dani Alves has vehemently criticized a Spanish court’s decision to grant him release on €1 million (£850,000) bail pending his appeal against a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Alves, aged 40, was convicted of assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on December 31, 2022, following a three-day trial the previous month.
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He has been detained at Brians 2 Prison in Barcelona since January 2023 and was also fined €150,000 (£128,000) while being barred from contacting the victim for nine-and-a-half years.
His lawyer, Ines Guardiola, lodged an appeal against the ruling, resulting in Alves being offered bail by a Barcelona court upon payment of the £850,000 sum.
This decision has drawn condemnation from Ester Garcia, an attorney representing the unnamed victim, who criticized the move as emblematic of “justice for the wealthy,” expressing her discontent on Spanish radio.
‘I’m very surprised and totally outraged… because it’s like this is justice for the rich,’ Ester Garcia told RAC1 radio in the northeastern Catalonia region, denouncing it as ‘scandalous’ and saying the footballer could ‘get hold of a million euros in a heartbeat’.
Earlier this week, Alves sought provisional release, assuring authorities that he had no intention of fleeing before receiving his final sentence.
His request has now been granted, with his legal team downplaying concerns about him being a flight risk.
Prosecutors initially sought a nine-year sentence, arguing against bail, fearing he might abscond to Brazil.
However, the court imposed a lesser sentence, leading to his release pending the appeal’s outcome.
Throughout, Alves has maintained his innocence, asserting the encounter was consensual. Despite this, he faced consequences, including dismissal from Mexican club UNAM Pumas following his arrest 14 months prior.
Alves was married to model Joana Sanz at the time, who subsequently filed for divorce amid the scandal involving the former Barcelona star.
