On Wednesday, the Spanish judiciary approved the conditional release of Brazilian footballer Dani Alves on a bail of one million euros, despite him having served only a quarter of his 4.5-year sentence for rape. The conditions for Alves' release include surrendering his Brazilian and Spanish passports to prevent him from leaving Spain, as well as requiring him to appear in court weekly or when summoned.
The court also issued an order prohibiting Alves from approaching the victim within a distance of less than one kilometer. Alves is known to be facing a severe financial crisis, having spent a significant amount of money since the onset of this case, despite many years playing for big clubs with hefty salaries.
According to a report from "Vanguardia," Neymar Jr., a player for Saudi Al-Hilal, will be the one to pay Alves' fine to ensure his release, having tasked his father with handling the payment arrangements. Alves and Neymar share a friendship, and Neymar has previously been involved in assisting him multiple times regarding this case.
Victim's lawyer, Esther Garcia, expressed her outrage to Catalunya Radio after the ruling, stating, "For me, it's a scandal that they allow a person they know can secure a million euros right away to be free." The court's decision was not unanimous, as one of the three judges had a differing vote, and the ruling can be appealed. Garcia indicated that she is "angry and dissatisfied" with the ruling, calling it a "justice system for the wealthy," and intends to appeal.
The court's decision and the imposed bail were also criticized by the left-wing extremist party Sumar, the smaller partner in Spain's ruling coalition. The party stated on the platform "X": "Paternalistic justice and class-based discrimination. Enough is enough."
