Robinho must serve rape sentence in Brazil, court rules،
A majority of judges in a Brazilian court ruled Wednesday to uphold an Italian court's rape conviction against former AC Milan and Brazil striker Robinho, adding that he must serve a nine-year sentence. prison in Brazil.
Judges at Brazil's Superior Court of Justice voted 9-2 to validate the conviction of the former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker.
Robinho, 40, was sentenced in Italy to nine years in prison for his involvement in a gang sexual assault in 2013 while playing for AC Milan.
Brazil does not extradite its nationals, which has led Italy to request his imprisonment in his home country.
One of the elements decided by Brazil's Superior Court of Justice – a panel of 15 judges in the capital Brasilia – is whether Robinho fits into the South American nation's immigration law approved in 2017.
Robinho's lawyer, José Eduardo Rangel de Alckim, said he would appeal the decision to Brazil's Supreme Court and ask the player to stay out of prison during the appeal process.
“Robinho is available and ready to appear before the judges at any time. If an officer arrives, he will comply. He will not object,” Alckim said.
“Our first concern is to suspend the immediate arrest warrant. We will request the execution of the sentence after the appeal decision has been rendered.”
The first judge to vote, Francisco Falcão, said Robinho should serve his sentence in Brazil. He added that the former player could not go unpunished and that diplomatic friction between Brazil and Italy could arise if the sentence was not served.
“There are no obstacles to validate the execution of his sentence. This was confirmed by the Milan court, which is the competent authority in this case,” Falcão said. “The conviction is final. The accused was not tried in absentia in Italy, he was represented.”
Robinho lives in Santos, near Sao Paulo. He surrendered his passport to Brazilian authorities in March 2023. He continues to deny any wrongdoing and insists his sex with the woman in a Milan bar was consensual.
Lawyer Jacopo Gnocchi, who represented the victim, said he and his client were satisfied with the Brazilian court's decision.
“We believe this is the fair conclusion of a case that took place in Italy, with assurances for all the accused who were later found guilty,” Gnocchi told Brazilian news site UOL.
“We have respected and understood that the Brazilian Constitution does not allow extradition (of its own citizens), but that does not change the fact that when the sentence is final, it is right… that it be applied.”
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this story.
