Former soccer player Robinho began serving a nine-year prison sentence in Brazil on Thursday, more than a decade after being accused of raping a woman in Italy.
The 40-year-old Robinho left his apartment in Santos, Brazil, in a police car after losing a bid to stay out of prison while he appeals. A Brazilian court decided that Robinho must serve his sentence in Brazil because of his 2017 rape conviction in Italy.
Judges in Brazil voted to uphold Robinho’s conviction for his involvement in a sexual assault in 2013 when he played for AC Milan. Robinho was sentenced to nine years in prison in Italy for his role in the assault.
Earlier on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux denied a request that would have let Robinho stay out of prison during his appeals. His lawyers want a new trial in Brazil because of national sovereignty concerns.
Robinho will spend his first hours in custody discussing possible legal issues in his case. Then he will go to prison, but the location has not been disclosed.
Brazil does not extradite its citizens, so Italy asked Brazil to imprison Robinho. “Brazil cannot be a haven for criminals,” said Judge Mauro Campbell Marques.
Robinho gave up his passport to Brazilian authorities in March 2023. He denies wrongdoing and says his relations with the woman in Milan were consensual. Robinho said in a TV interview that racism played a role in his conviction in Italy.
Robinho became famous in Brazil in 2002 when he led Santos to its first national title since the era of Pelé. He did it again two years later. He also won the Confederations Cup with Brazil and played for Real Madrid and Manchester City.
