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Football Prodigy to Prisoner: Robinho’s Rape Case back in Spotlight

Robinho. Photo/Sky Sports
  • He is a former Brazilian footballer
  • He played as a forward for Brazil and Manchester City
  • He will serve a nine years prison sentence for gang rape

Robinho is a former Brazilian footballer who played as a forward for Manchester City and will serve a nine-year prison sentence for gang rape in Italy after he was found guilty in Italy back in 2017.

In 2022, the Italian authorities had asked the Brazilian Court of Justice to extradite him. Robinho was among six others who were found guilty of assaulting an Albanian woman in an Italian nightclub in 2013.

His career was unfortunately tarnished by a serious legal issue. In 2017, he with five others was convicted of gang rape in Italy and sentenced to nine years in prison. However, Brazil does not extradite its citizens, leaving the conviction unenforced in Italy.

Three years later, a Brazilian court ruled he must serve the sentence in Brazil but the case remains unresolved.

At the time of the incident, he was 28 and he admitted being in contact with the women but the Brazilian insisted it was consensual. However, the court in its investigation found out that the accused had humiliated the victim and held a nine-year prison sentence in 2020.

In that conviction, intercepted phone calls between the footballer and those involved in the assault were used as evidence. In his defence, he said that the lady was drunk and could not tell what happened.

Robinho  Biography

His full name is Robson de Souza and he captivated audiences with his dazzling footwork. His early years were steeped in football and at the age of six, he was already training at a local club, Beira Mar before joining Santos FC academy.

Robinho

Robinho. Photo/Sky Sports

He had a life-changing encounter with Pele and at the age of 18 years, he signed his first professional contract with Santos leading them to their first Campeonato Brasileiro title since Pele’s era.

His talent attracted the attention of European giants and he signed for Real Madrid, where he won two La Liga titles. After his stint with Real Madrid, he embarked on a journey that saw him play across Europe, Asia and South America.

He enjoyed a successful spell at AC Milan, winning the Serie A title in his first season. However, his desire for more play time led him to Manchester City, Istanbul Basaksehir, and even a stint in the Chinese league with Guangzhou Evergrande.

He was also a regular for the Brazilian national team and was part of the squads that won the 2005 and 2008 Confederations Cup and the 2007 Copa America. He also featured in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

Robinho personal life

Robinho was born on January 25, 1984, in São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil Marina da Silva Souza, where he started his football career at a young age. His life was smooth though it has had some hardships along the way.

In 2004, his mother was kidnapped at gunpoint but thankfully, she was released unharmed after a month. The incident happened at a friend’s home during a gathering when two armed men took her away in her car.

The kidnapping was a major shock for him who was then a rising star at Santos FC, the incident forced him to step away from the team to support his family in that difficult moment. In the release of his mother, the abductors demanded a ransom.

Robinho. Photo/beIN SPORTS

The former player was married to Vivian Guglielminetti and the couple has three children together, two sons and a daughter.

Robinho’s fall and imprisonment

His career was unfortunately tarnished by a serious legal issue. In 2017, he with five others was convicted of gang rape in Italy and sentenced to nine years in prison. However, Brazil does not extradite its citizens, leaving the conviction unenforced in Italy.

Three years later, a Brazilian court ruled he must serve the sentence in Brazil but the case remains unresolved.

At the time of the incident, he was 28 and he admitted being in contact with the women but the Brazilian insisted it was consensual. However, the court in its investigation found out that the accused had humiliated the victim and held a nine-year prison sentence in 2020.

 

My passion is capturing the untold journey of global athletes from humble beginnings to superstars in their own right.

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