Rio de Janeiro, Mar. 22, (dpa/GNA) – Former football star Robinho was arrested in the port city of Santos on Thursday, a day after a court ruled he must serve his nine-year prison sentence for rape in Brazil.
Officers picked up the 40-year-old from his home on Thursday and took him to a police station, Brazilian news agency Agência Brasil reported. After a medical examination, he was to be transferred to a prison.
On Wednesday, Brazil’s superior court of justice ruled that the former Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan striker should serve a nine-year prison sentence imposed on him in Italy in Brazil. An injunction by his lawyers against his arrest was rejected.
Robinho was sentenced by an Italian court in 2017 to nine years in jail for his involvement in the gang rape in 2013 of a woman in a Milan nightclub.
After exhausting all appeals, the judgement became final in 2022. At the time, however, Robinho had already returned to his home country.
Italy had sought to have Robinho’s sentence ratified in Brazil so that he would serve his term in his home nation, as Brazil does not extradite its nationals, which was granted. Robinho’s lawyers said they would appeal the high court’s decision.