Source: REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, the prosecution department of Spain’s Supreme Court recently formally appealed the acquittal judgment in the sexual assault case of former Barcelona star Dani Alves, charging that the High Court of Catalonia’s ruling contains “serious legal errors” and emphasizing that the verdict “reverts the standard of consent for sexual acts back to medieval concepts.” This case, involving professional athletes, gender equality, and judicial justice, has sparked intense debate in Spanish society over the past two years. In the latest appeal filed by the Supreme Court prosecution, they sharply criticized this logic: “A woman’s consent to be in the same room or drink with a man does not imply consent to any sexual act. The court equating ‘crossing the threshold’ with implied consent is a complete departure from the 2022 bill stating ‘only clear consent counts as consent.'” The document specifically cites testimony from nightclub employees indicating that the victim’s emotional breakdown, physical injuries, and immediate reporting align completely with typical characteristics of sexual assault victims. Currently, the plaintiff’s attorney has submitted materials to the European Court of Human Rights, accusing the Spanish judicial system of “failing to fulfill international obligations to protect victims of gender violence.” The final judgment in this case may become a new benchmark for European legislation on sexual assault.