Robinho to Serve 9 Year Gang Rape Sentence in Brazil: Former Real Madrid and Manchester City Star

Judges in Brazil upheld the conviction of former Real Madrid striker Robinho for rape on Wednesday, ruling that the player must serve his nine-year jail sentence there. The majority of the judges in the trial at Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice, which is the highest court in the nation for non-constitutional cases, decided that the former player must serve out his term in Brazil.

Robinho and five other Brazlians were found guilty in 2017 by a Milan court of gang raping a lady in 2013 after giving her drink at a discotheque. The conviction was upheld by an appeals court in 2020, and the Italian Supreme Court affirmed it once more in 2022.

Brazil refuses to extradite its nationals. Italy asked Brazil last year to send Robinho back to his native country to serve out his prison term.

Robinho’s lawyer disclosed that he would turn himself in to the police as soon as he received official word of the ruling. The Brazilian court focused solely on determining whether the Italian punishment was lawful in Brazil, ignoring the rape conviction.

Robinho recently stated, “It was consensual,” in an interview with TV Record. I never refuted the interaction. Since my DNA was different, I could have denied it, but I’m not a liar. After four years of playing in Italy, I grew weary of seeing headlines about prejudice. The people who have denounced me are the same ones who do little to combat racism, which I reject.”

Robinho’s case, along with that of former Barcelona and PSG player Dani Alves, has drawn a lot of criticism on the inadequacy of the authorities in handling cases of violence against women.

The 40-year-old former Brazil international full-back Alves was given a four-and-a-half year prison sentence in February for raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub. A Spanish court decided on Wednesday to free him from custody while an appeal is underway. The bail of one million euros was criticized by the victim’s attorney as “justice for the rich.”

The first judge to cast a vote, Francisco Falco, recommended that Robinho must serve his sentence in Brazil. He went on to say that the former player would not go unpunished and that if the sentence is not served, international tensions between Brazil and Italy may arise.

“There is nothing standing in the way of his sentence being carried out. Falco stated, “It was verified by a Milan court, which is the appropriate body in this situation. “The verdict is conclusive. The accused was represented, and he was not tried in absentia in Italy.”