In Barcelona, Spain, Spanish state prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they intend to challenge the recent decision to acquit soccer player Dani Alves of rape charges. This paves the way for the case to potentially advance to the nation’s Supreme Court.
This development follows a recent decision by an appeals court, which overturned a previous conviction of Alves. The conviction had been delivered by a lower court following a trial in Barcelona last year.
Dani Alves, who formerly played as a defender for both Brazil and Barcelona, found himself behind bars for 14 months. This followed his arrest in December 2022 on accusations of raping a young woman in the restroom of a Barcelona nightclub. He has consistently denied any involvement in the alleged crime.
Initially, in February 2024, Alves was found guilty and received a sentence of four years and six months in prison. Now, with the prosecution’s decision to appeal, the case could proceed to a higher jurisdiction if the Supreme Court in Madrid agrees to undertake a review of the acquittal.