Dani Alves’ ex-wife has shared a selfie on social media a few hours after the former Barcelona full-back was sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
On Thursday, the former Brazil international was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of an exclusive Barcelona nightclub on December 31, 2022.
The 40-year-old father-of-two had been detained at Brians 2 prison, near the Catalan capital, since his arrest in January last year and now faces his first night behind bars as a convicted sex offender.
Despite the tragic news for the former Barça star, his ex-wife Joana Sanz took the opportunity to share a selfie with her followers on her Instagram.
Just a couple of hours after Alves’ sentencing, Sanz took to social media to share a photo of herself before also posting a photo that appeared to show she had gone out for coffee.
Dani Alves’ ex-wife, Joana Sanz, shared a selfie on social media hours after the former Barcelona winger was sentenced to four years in prison
Former Barcelona defender Dani Alves has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison after being found guilty of rape
He had admitted to cheating on his wife, Joana Sanz (pictured), but insists he had consensual sex with his accuser.
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Alves protested his innocence on February 7 after taking the stand on the final day of his three-day trial at the Barcelona Provincial Court.
He admitted having sex in a bathroom at Barcelona’s exclusive Sutton nightclub on December 30, 2022, with his 23-year-old accuser, but insisted it was consensual.
The woman who was today found guilty of rape confirmed that Alves had forced himself on her when she gave evidence in court behind her screen.
A friend who was with her the night of the rape burst into tears as she recalled how the victim ‘crying uncontrollably’ after leaving the small bathroom where the incident occurred.
State prosecutors had demanded a nine-year prison sentence if Alves was convicted and a private prosecutor acting on behalf of the victim demanded a 12-year prison sentence at his trial.
In June 2023, Alves admitted to cheating on his wife, however, he maintained that he was innocent.
speaking to The vanguard From prison last summer, Alves apologized to his ex-partner. “The only person I have to apologize to is my wife, Joana Sanz,” he said.
‘The woman I married eight years ago, with whom I am still married and with whom I hope to continue living my entire life.
Sanz appeared to confirm that they had broken up, and Alves admitted that she “made a mistake with me”
In a letter, Sanz writes ‘it will take years to erase the way he looks at me from my memory’
‘I have already apologized to her personally here in prison, but I must do it publicly, because the story is public, the offense is public and she deserves a public apology.
‘These have been, are being and will be very hard days for her. I appreciate everything she is doing for me. Her role is not easy. I love her and during this time in prison I have thought a lot about our marriage.
‘I am sure that I was not wrong in choosing Joana as my wife. Although maybe she did make a mistake with me.
His wife appeared to confirm that she had split from Alves in a social media post.
In a handwritten letter, she said “it will take me years to erase the way she looked at me from my memory” and “here is a strong woman moving on to the next stage of her life.”
Alves, who became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022, was tried last November.
Prosecutors had been pushing for a 12-year prison sentence for the 40-year-old Brazilian after being found guilty of raping a woman in a Spanish nightclub in 2022.
Dani Alves’ family is seen leaving the court during the trial earlier this month, including his ex-wife Joana Sanz (centre left) and his mother Lucía (centre right).
It was initially reported that he had been accused of putting his hands down a woman’s underwear inside a toilet in the VIP area of Sutton nightclub before it emerged his victim said she had been raped.
He was sacked by Mexican team UNAM Pumas following his arrest in Barcelona early last year after he flew back to the Catalan capital to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.
He made repeated bail applications after being remanded in custody, but they were all rejected, with judges saying his victim’s version of events was consistent and noting that Alves had changed his story several times as evidence emerged. of the authorities against him.
Alves claimed before his arrest that he had never met his accuser, but ended up backtracking after being detained.