Former striker of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, Robinho, who received a nine-year prison sentence for group rape, will serve his sentence in his home country.
On Wednesday, March 20, the Supreme Court of Brazil, with nine votes in favor and two against, decided that Robinho will serve his 9-year prison sentence in Brazil.
It is noted that the court did not consider whether the former footballer committed the crime for which he was convicted by an Italian court, but only decided whether it was lawful for the athlete to serve his punishment in his country of origin.
Recall that in 2017, Robinho and five other people were found guilty by Italian authorities of raping a 23-year-old woman, which allegedly took place in Milan in 2013, and sentenced to nine years in prison. Robinho's defense claimed that he had an intimate relationship with the victim, and everything happened with mutual consent.
The 40-year-old Robinho also played for Santos, Manchester City, and Milan. The striker won the Spanish La Liga twice and the Italian Serie A once.
The athlete played 100 matches for the Brazilian national team, scoring 28 goals. In 2007, he won the Copa America with the national team and was named the tournament's best player and top scorer (with 6 goals).
Earlier, another Brazilian ex-footballer, Dani Alves, was temporarily released on bail from prison where he was held on rape charges. The US court also acquitted Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo in a rape case, dismissing the lawsuit of model Kathryn Mayorga.