Former Brazil Footballer Robinho Starts Serving Time, Rape Convict Jailed For 9 Years

Soon after being sentenced to nine years in jail for a rape conviction, former Brazil and Manchester City forward Robinho has been arrested at his residence in Santos on Friday, March 22, 2024. (More Football News)

The 40-year-old was convicted a couple of years back in Italy for his role in the gang rape of an Albanian woman at a Milan discotheque in the year 2013. He was a player for AC Milan at the time.

Robinho, whose full name is Robson de Souza, was taken into custody after his lawyers were unable to delay his detention over the 2013 crime.

The Italian government had sought that the former international footballer serve his sentence in Brazil after failing to get him extradited. A Brazil court upheld the decision on Wednesday, and also ruled that Robinho should serve his time behind bars, rather than under house arrest. A day later, a Brazil supreme court judge denied a request to halt his detention.

Reports in Brazilian media stated that Robinho will undergo a forensic medical examination before facing a custody hearing. Post that, he is expected to be taken to one of around 100 jails in Sao Paulo state, where Santos is located.

Reports also suggested that the ex-footballer might serve his sentence in a prison in the city of Tremembe, which is known for receiving “celebrity” convicts.

The former striker was first found guilty by a Milan court in 2017. An appeals court confirmed the conviction in 2020, and Italy's highest court upheld his imprisonment in 2022. Italian prosecutors then issued an international arrest warrant for him.

Robinho has always denied the charges, claiming that the sex had been "consensual". He has played 100 games for Brazil and spent two years with Manchester City.