Robinho rape case continues in Brazilian court
SAO PAULO –
A Supreme Court in Brazil is moving forward with Italy’s case against former soccer star Robinho, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Europe for rape.
In a ruling late Wednesday, Brazil’s superior court set an August 2 date to decide whether the Italian government should translate Robinho’s full case into Portuguese and then send it to Brazilian authorities for further analysis, as requested by the former player’s lawyer.
The Italian authorities want 39-year-old Robinho to serve his sentence in Brazil, but the Brazilian court has yet to agree. Brazil does not extradite nationals.
Robinho was convicted in Italy in 2017 for his part in the Milan group sexual assault that took place four years earlier when he played for Serie A team AC Milan. Italy’s highest court upheld the Brazilian’s verdict in 2022, after which Italian prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant.
Robinho lives in Santos, outside Sao Paulo. In March, he handed over his passport to the Brazilian authorities.
His lawyers, who did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, allege he had consensual sexual relations in a bar with a young woman, as did five of his friends.
If the Brazilian court denies Robinho’s request for a full translation from Italy, it could decide his future.
The decision came hours after Brazilian news website UOL published audio recordings obtained by Italian authorities showing Robinho discussing the case with friends. The contents were already known, but the player’s own voice making derogatory comments about the victim and the case itself shocked fans.
‘We’ll punch her in the face. You punch her in the face and say, “What have I done to you?” rape.
In another dialogue, Robinho says “that’s why I’m laughing, I don’t care at all.”
“The girl was extremely drunk, she doesn’t even know who I am,” he said.
Robinho said in another conversation that he left the bar after having sex with the young woman, but his friends stayed with her. He later shows some concern about the story going public.
“If this gets into the press, it will kill me,” said Robinho, who also played for Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Another Brazilian footballer, Dani Alves, is in jail in Spain as investigations into a sexual assault allegation against him continue. Local authorities reportedly decided to investigate the matter discreetly so they could arrest the former Barcelona player upon his return to Spain, preventing a situation like Robinho’s.
