In a shocking turn of events, renowned Brazilian footballer Robinho has been penalised with nine years of imprisonment for his involvement in the 2013 gang rape of a woman in Milan. A court in Milan convicted the star Brazilian Footballer and five of his countrymen of assaulting the Albanian woman after a drunken night out at a discotheque.
As learned from the news reports, the 33-year-old footballer has been also ordered to pay a compensation of 60,000 euros ($71,000) to the victim. The trial of Robinho’s companions has been put on hold because their whereabouts are unknown.
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Robinho, who represented AC Milan from 2010 to 2015, failed to attend any of the court hearings and pleaded not guilty through his lawyer. A clarification note on his Instagram account read, “We would like to clarify that he has already defended himself against the accusations, affirming that he did not participate in the episode. All legal measures are being taken.” However, the sentence will not be enforced until the appeal process ends.
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According to several media reports, Robinho holds the right to two appeals and Italy would only seek extradition once this legal process is exhausted. However, Brazil does not allow for the extradition of its own citizens, meaning he would only risk arrest and deportation if he was stopped in a third country.
Robinho, who currently plays for Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro, has been capped 100 times for Brazil and has scored 28 goals. His career has also included spells at Santos, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
