Former Brazil international Robinho arrested to serve rape sentence
Robin, a former Brazilian national footballer, has been apprehended to begin serving a nine-year prison term for sexual assault. Convicted in Italy two years ago for his involvement in the assault of an Albanian woman at a Milan nightclub in 2013, Robin, now 40, was detained at his residence in Santos, Brazil.
Italy had sought his extradition but instead, he will serve his sentence in Brazil as per the request of the Italian government. A Brazilian court upheld this decision and mandated that he serve his time incarcerated rather than under house arrest.
Despite a Supreme Court judge’s rejection of a plea to suspend his detention, Brazil’s justice system has been commended by local media for its resolute action, countering concerns that Robin’s fame and wealth would allow him to evade justice.
The former Brazilian international, who earned 100 caps for his country, was affiliated with AC Milan when the crime occurred. Despite his unsuccessful appeal in 2020, Italy’s highest court affirmed his sentence in 2022.
Italian prosecutors then issued an international arrest warrant for him.
The footballer, who spent two years with Manchester City, told a Brazilian network on Sunday that the sex had been “consensual”.
