Robinho arrested in Brazil to serve rape sentence

Former football star Robinho has been arrested in Brazil, more than 10 years after he was first accused of raping a woman in Italy.

The former Manchester City player will start his nine-year prison term after a court decision this week authorised the transfer of the sentence from Italy.

In a statement, police said Robinho, 40, will undergo a medical examination and a custody hearing before being sent to prison.

Earlier on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux denied Robinho a habeas corpus that would have allowed him to remain free until he no longer has appeals pending.

The former footballer’s lawyers want a new trial in Brazil on the grounds of national sovereignty.

A Brazilian high court ruled on Wednesday that Robinho must serve his sentence in his home nation as a result of his 2017 rape conviction in Italy.

Judges on Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice in the capital city of Brasilia voted 9-2 to validate the conviction of the former Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan striker.

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Robinho was sentenced in Italy to nine years in prison for his part in a group sexual assault in 2013 when he played for AC Milan.

Brazil does not extradite nationals, which led Italy to seek his imprisonment in his home nation.

The Brazilian court did not reopen discussions about the rape conviction, focusing only on whether the sentence in Italy was valid in Brazil.