Spanish court grants provisional release to Daniel Alves upon payment of bail of 1 million euros
The Barcelona court accepted the defense's request, allowing the former player to await the final decision in freedom. Alves' legal team filed an appeal against the sentence handed down in February for the crime of sexual assault.
Daniel Alves was sentenced to more than four years in prison by the Spanish court -Photo Reproduction/Alberto Estevez/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Former Brazilian football player, Daniel Alves, has had a turnaround in his legal situation in Spain. The Spanish Court accepted this Wednesday morning (20) the request for provisional release of the athlete upon payment of a bond of 1 million euros (around R$5.4 million), while the defense awaits the final sentence. In February, Alves received a sentence of four and a half years in prison for sexual assault, after being accused of raping a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona. The former player's defense, however, filed an appeal against the decision and requested that he remain free until the final deliberation.
Legal Context
After a long judicial process, Daniel Alves was found guilty of sexual assault against a young girl,crime that occurred in the bathroom of the Sutton nightclub, in Barcelona, in 2022. As stipulated by Spain's Penal Code, sexual assault is defined in article 178 as the act of attacking another person's sexual freedom through violence or intimidation, carrying a prison sentence ranging from one to five years.
The trial, which lasted three days and concluded on February 7, included the testimonies of 28 witnesses, presented by both the defense and the prosecution. During the hearings, evidence was presented, allowing lawyers for both sides to argue before the court. Despite the efforts of Alves' defense, the final verdict was guilty, resulting in a sentence of more than four years in prison for the former player. However, the former player's legal team appealed the decision and subsequently requested that the Brazilian await the final decision in freedom.
Bail and provisional release
In the decision, the judges also ordered that, if the defense pays the required bail, Daniel Alves' passports - both Brazilian and Spanish - are confiscated. Furthermore, the sentence stipulated that he must maintain a minimum distance of 1 kilometer from the victim's residence, her place of work or any other place frequented by her. The victim, who is from Barcelona and resides in the Catalan capital, cannot be contacted by Alves through any means, and is prohibited from leaving Spain. Alves must present himself to the Barcelona Court weekly or whenever requested.
"The court decides, by majority and with an individual vote: 'Agree on the provisional arrest of Daniel Alves, which can be avoided by paying a bond of 1,000,000 euros and, if the payment is verified, his provisional release is agreed , or withdrawal of both passports, Spanish and Brazilian, the prohibition of leaving the national territory, and the obligation to appear before this Provincial Court weekly, as well as as many times as it is summoned by the Judicial Authority", said the sentence.
Rations and Future Expectations
To date, Daniel Alves' legal team has not issued a statement regarding the payment of bail. Alves remains detained in the Brians 2 penitentiary, located 40 kilometers from Barcelona, region where he has a residence acquired during his time at Barcelona. Currently, his wife, Spanish model Joana Sanz, lives in this property, according to local press reports.
Meanwhile, Maria Lucia Alves, mother of Daniel Alves, expressed happiness with the court decision on her social networks, celebrating the victory achieved. It is worth mentioning that she is also involved in a legal case in Spain, accused of publishing alleged intimate images of the victim. From the beginning of the case, the judge responsible for the case prohibited any disclosure of the complainant's identity.
