Former soccer star Robinho, aged 40, has commenced serving a nine-year prison sentence in his native Brazil after being accused more than a decade ago of raping a woman in Italy. The Brazilian high court ruled that Robinho must serve his sentence in Brazil following his 2017 rape conviction in Italy.
Robinho, a former player for Real Madrid, Manchester City, and AC Milan, was sentenced to nine years in prison for his involvement in a group sexual assault in 2013 while playing for AC Milan. Despite his appeals, the Superior Court of Justice in Brasilia voted 9-2 to uphold his conviction.
Robinho, who denies any wrongdoing and claims the encounter was consensual, was denied a habeas corpus request by Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux, which would have allowed him to remain free pending appeals. As per Brazilian law, he will undergo a hearing with a judge to address any potential legal issues in the proceedings that led to his arrest before being transferred to a penitentiary.
Italy sought Robinho's imprisonment in Brazil as the country does not extradite its nationals. The former footballer, who surrendered his passport to Brazilian authorities in March 2023, continues to assert his innocence and has attributed his conviction to racism.
Robinho rose to fame in 2002 when he led Santos to its first national title since the Pelé era. He later played for Real Madrid and Manchester City before returning to Santos to mentor Neymar. He represented Brazil in the 2010 World Cup and won the Serie A title with AC Milan before rejoining Santos following the rape case.
Robinho's legal battle and imprisonment mark a significant fall from grace for the once-celebrated footballer, whose career has been marred by controversy and legal troubles.
Source: AP soccer
