Fri Mar 28 11:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Dani Alves Acquitted in Sexual Assault Case: Appeals Court Overturns Conviction
**Barcelona, Spain** – Former Barcelona footballer Dani Alves has been acquitted of sexual assault charges, a stunning reversal of a previous conviction. The Catalonia High Court of Justice’s appeals court unanimously overturned the four-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed down by the Barcelona Provincial Court.
The appeals court cited inconsistencies and insufficient evidence in the testimony of the alleged victim. While the lower court accepted the victim’s account of non-consensual sex in a Barcelona nightclub bathroom, the appeals court judges found her statement, along with discrepancies between her testimony and security footage, insufficient to overcome Alves’ presumption of innocence.
The ruling stated that the lower court’s reasoning contained “gaps, imprecisions, inconsistencies, and contradictions regarding the facts, legal assessment, and consequences.” The appeals court rejected arguments from the prosecution and private prosecution to increase the sentence, ultimately absolving Alves and lifting all precautionary measures. Court costs were assigned to the state.
Alves spent over a year in pre-trial detention before being granted provisional release on bail of one million euros. This acquittal marks a significant turning point in the high-profile case.
First Piper 