The Barcelona Audiencia is set to convene a hearing on Tuesday, March 19, beginning at 9:00 a.m., to determine whether Dani Alves should be released from custody or continue to be deprived of liberty. This update comes from TVE and is corroborated by legal sources cited by El Periódico de Catalunya, which belongs to Prensa Ibérica. The hearing will scrutinize the latest requests and submissions as part of the ongoing legal process surrounding the case.
The request for release was filed by Alves’ defense while awaiting a final judicial ruling. It is recalled that the court previously sentenced the former Barcelona player to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault against a young woman on December 31, 2022, at the Sutton club in Barcelona. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed five years of supervised liberty after release, a 150,000 euro indemnity, and a nine-and-a-half-year restraint on contacting or approaching the victim.
Beyond seeking immediate release, Alves’ attorney, Inés Guardiola, argued for acquittal, contending that the sexual relations were consensual. She also pressed that the 150,000 euros paid prior to the trial should be regarded as a highly exculpatory factor and requested a reduction of the prison sentence to one and a half years, which would allow the time already served to count toward the final sentence.
On the other side, the prosecutor has urged a longer prison term, asserting that the alleged mitigating effect of the payment does not reflect a real concession and noting that Alves has not admitted the assault or offered an apology to the victim. The prosecutor’s position emphasizes that the financial settlement does not erase the gravity of the alleged conduct in the eyes of the law and the public record.
Similarly, the victim’s lawyer, Ester García, is pushing for a harsher outcome and contends that the mitigation should not be granted. The Catalonia High Court, known as the Tribunal Superior de Justícia de Catalunya (TSJC), will rule on the appeals in the coming months, and there remains the possibility that the involved parties could file another appeal with the Supreme Court. The central issue remains whether Alves, who has already served a quarter of the provisional sentence, will delay the final decision while still in custody or be released while awaiting the resolution.
As the case advances, observers note that the hearing will also serve as a test of the judicial timetable for appeals that can stretch across several months. Legal analysts typically stress that decisions in high-profile cases like this hinge on the precise interpretation of flight risk, risk of reoffending, and the proportionality of the sentence, along with the credibility of the evidence presented at different stages of the proceedings. While the parties prepare their arguments, the public and press await clarification on whether the defendant will remain behind bars or be granted conditional liberty during the appellate process.
In the broader landscape of Spanish criminal procedure, the outcome of this hearing may influence how similar cases are approached in the region. Court observers emphasize the balance between protecting victims and ensuring fair treatment for defendants under the law, a tension that often shapes the strategies and expectations of both defense and prosecution teams. The aftermath could also hinge on how the court weighs prior judgments, ongoing appeals, and any new evidence or legal interpretations introduced during the hearing. The public interest in the case remains high as the judges prepare to render a decision within the established judicial framework, with the possibility of additional legal steps if needed.