In Brazil, former footballer Robinho, known for his stints with Brazil and Manchester City, has been taken into custody to commence a nine-year prison term for a rape conviction.
The 40-year-old Robinho was apprehended at his residence in Santos on Thursday, March 21. His conviction stems from a 2017 case in Italy, where he was found guilty of involvement in the gang rape of an Albanian woman at a nightclub in Milan in January 2013.
Born Robson De Souza, the ex-Premier League star was one of six men convicted in the assault case. Despite maintaining his innocence, he’s resided in Brazil for the past seven years.
Robinho’s arrest follows failed extradition attempts by the Italian government, leading to a request for his imprisonment to be carried out in his home country. Brazilian authorities, concurring with the request, decided to enforce the sentence locally.
The decision to incarcerate him in Brazil received majority support from the Brazilian court, with nine out of 15 ministers voting in favor. Additionally, his plea to postpone detention was dismissed by a Supreme Court judge on Thursday.
