Ex-Manchester City player Robinho will have to serve a nine-year jail term in Brazil after being convicted of s*xual assault in Italy in 2013.
Recall that Robinho was sentenced to nine years in prison in Italy for his involvement in a group sexual assault in 2013 while playing for AC Milan.
Due to Brazil’s policy of not extraditing its nationals, Italy sought imprisonment in his home country.
Despite denying any wrongdoing and losing two appeals to overturn his conviction, judges on Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice voted 9-2 on Wednesday to uphold the conviction, leading to his sentence being served in Brazil.
“Brazil cannot be a shelter for criminals,” stated Judge Mauro Campbell Marques during his vote.
This decision coincided with a Spanish court’s ruling permitting Brazilian football star Dani Alves to leave prison pending his appeal of a rape conviction in Barcelona, provided he pays a bail of 1 million euros ($1.1 million) and surrenders his passports.
Robinho still has the option to appeal the decision to Brazil’s Supreme Court.
Robinho gained national fame in 2002 as an 18-year-old, leading Santos to its first national title since the Pele era.
He went on to win the Confederations Cup with Brazil in 2005 and played for Real Madrid, Manchester City, and AC Milan before returning to Santos in 2010. He also had stints in China and Turkey.
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