Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, who was convicted of rape in Spain, has paid the 1 million euro bail that was requested by the court and is set to be released from prison on provisional release. The Spanish justice system confirmed this development on Monday.
Alves deposited the required amount to the court on Monday, following a ruling by the Court of Justice last Wednesday. The former Barcelona player will now be able to leave prison while awaiting the resolution of the appeals filed against his conviction for raping a young woman.
The court in Barcelona had granted the favorable measure to Alves last week, but the payment was pending until Monday. The athlete, who has had a successful career with teams like FC Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain, has been held in Brians 2 prison, around 40 km from Barcelona, since the end of January 2023.
Alves, who was sentenced in February to four and a half years in prison for the rape that occurred in a nightclub in Spain in 2022, has also been ordered to pay a compensation of 150,000 euros and faces an additional five years of supervised release. Both his defense and the Prosecutor’s Office have appealed the sentence, and the resolution of these appeals could take some time.
Despite his successful football career, Alves took several days to raise the bail amount. Neymar’s father, who had helped him financially after his initial arrest, denied providing assistance now that he has been convicted.
Alves assured the court that he would not flee and expressed his trust in the justice system. The court granted him provisional release based on the mitigating factor of the passage of time, reducing the perceived risk of flight.
While Alves’ true economic situation is not fully known, it is presumed that he still maintains a comfortable financial solvency. In addition to the bail, other measures imposed on him include surrendering his passports, weekly court appearances, prohibition from leaving Spain, and avoiding contact with the victim.
The resolution of Alves’ case will depend on the outcome of the ongoing appeals process, which could potentially lead to a modification of his sentence.