The woman who accused football icon Dani Alves of rape isn’t backing down—she’s officially appealing the court decision that overturned his conviction, her lawyer confirmed on Monday.
The emotional move comes after a Barcelona appeals court reversed Alves’ four-and-a-half-year prison sentence just last month, citing contradictions in the trial and lack of sufficient evidence. The ruling has since sparked outrage and protests across Spain, with activists and politicians calling it a “setback” for victims of sexual assault.
Alves, 41, had been found guilty in February last year for raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub on New Year’s Eve 2022. But on March 28, 2025, a higher court threw out the conviction, casting doubt on the process and igniting widespread criticism.
“This appeal was filed today—the very last day we had to do so,” said the complainant’s lawyer, Ester Garcia, choosing not to disclose the appeal’s arguments “for strategic reasons.”
It’s not just her team taking action. Catalonia’s public prosecutor’s office also announced it would appeal the court’s controversial decision.
The fallout has rippled far beyond the courtroom. Hundreds of protesters, led by feminist groups, flooded the streets of Barcelona last week, calling the ruling a “blow to justice” and a chilling reminder of how victims’ voices can still be doubted.
Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Maria Jesus Montero, weighed in, saying, “It’s a step backwards. It’s a shame that the word of a rape victim still needs to be questioned in 2025.”
Dani Alves had been held in prison from January 2023 until March 2024, when he was released on €1 million bail while awaiting the appeal verdict.
Once celebrated for his glittering football career—three Champions League titles, six La Liga wins with Barcelona, stints at Juventus and PSG, and 126 caps for Brazil—Alves’ legacy is now shadowed by a high-stakes legal and moral battle that continues to divide opinion.
As the legal fight resumes, one thing is clear: this case has become a powerful flashpoint in Spain’s reckoning with sexual assault, celebrity, and justice.
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