Leading footballer Robinho has been sentenced by a court to nine years in prison for gang-raping a young woman.
He was convicted in 2013 of gang-raping a young woman at a nightclub in Milan. The Brazilian, who played for top clubs including Real Madrid and Manchester City, has been jailed after two appeals were rejected in a 2017 ruling. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
The incident took place in January 2013 when he was a member of the Italian club AC Milan. A 22-year-old Albanian woman was gang-raped by five men, including 27-year-old Robinho, at a nightclub in Milan. Robinho had argued that his physical contact with the young woman was consensual and that he had not had sex with her. However, phone messages sent by Robinho and friends about the incident were crucial in the case investigation. The court found him guilty on November 23, 2017.
Robinho, who was convicted of rape, was bought by Brazilian club Santos in 2020 amid much controversy. Protests from club fans and the media led to the cancellation of the contract without playing a single match. Robinho’s response was that the media and feminists were moving against him.
Robinho was sentenced to life in prison after two appeals against his conviction were rejected. However, it is not clear how the player’s sentence will be carried out, as there is no extradition treaty between Brazil and Italy. There is no provision in Brazil for imprisonment in another country.
Robinho began his football career with Santos in 2002, joining Real Madrid in 2005 and Manchester City in 2008. The player, who has played for Milan since 2010, joined Santos on loan in 2014. He later played for Chinese clubs Guangzhou Evergrand, Atletico Mineiro, Sivaspore and Istanbul Basak Shehir. He played 100 matches for Brazil and scored 28 goals.