Soccer star Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman and sentenced to four years, six months in prison by a Barcelona court on Thursday.
The ruling by the three-judge panel followed a three-day trial earlier this month. Alves was summoned to the courthouse to receive the verdict and sentence.
The victim's lawyer, Ester Garcia, said this week that she and her client would not be present. The ruling considered it proven that the victim did not consent to sex and there was evidence, in addition to the defendant's testimony, that she had been raped.
The court also imposed 150,000 euros ($219,000 Cdn) in compensation for the victim and payment of costs by Alves. Once it concluded his sentence, the court ordered that Alves, aged 40, be monitored for five years and have no communication with or go near the victim.