Robinho: Former Football Star to Spend 9 Years at A Brazilian Prison
Former football star, Robinho, was convicted of rape in Italy in 2017 and now a Brazilian high court has ruled that he should spend the remaining nine years of his sentence in Brazil.
The former Brazil national team, Real Madrid, and Manchester City were found guilty of participating in a group sexual assault in 2013 when he was playing for Italian giants AC Milan. Robinho was subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison. Italian authorities asked that he serve his time inside Brazil because extraditing Brazilian nationals is prohibited by law.
Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice upheld the Italian court’s verdict on Wednesday, voting 9–2.
The 40-year-old disputes the accusations and maintains that the interaction was consensual. He has the right to file an appeal with Brazil’s Supreme Court. He currently lives in Santos, which is close to Sao Paulo, and has turned in his passport to Brazilian police.
Robinho’s lawyer, Jose Eduardo Alckmin, informed the court at the beginning of the hearing on Wednesday that his client was seeking a retrial in Brazil based on national sovereignty. Francisco Falco, the first judge to vote, emphasized that Robinho must take responsibility for his acts and stated that his sentence should be spent in Brazil.
In addition, Mr. Falco brought up the possibility of diplomatic problems between Italy and Brazil in the event that the judgment is not carried out.
“Nothing is standing in the way of his sentence being carried out. It was verified by a Milan court, which is the appropriate body in this situation.,” Mr Falco reiterated. “The verdict is conclusive. The accused was represented and the case was not tried while he was abroad in Italy.”
Robinho recently stated that racism in Italy is the reason for his nine-year prison sentence, according to sports website, Goal.
According to other reports, he said, “I have all the evidence to show that I was wrongfully convicted in Italy for something that did not happen.” I played in Italy for four years until I grew weary of seeing racist headlines. Sadly, it takes place even today. The fact that that was in 2013 and it’s 2024 makes me think that the same individuals who support racism but do nothing about it are also the ones who were denounced during my trial.
“Without a doubt, the outcome of my trial would be very different if I were a white person.,” he added.