Robinho is arrested by the Federal Police in Santos – 03/21/2024 – Sport

Former player Robinho, 40 years old, was arrested this Thursday (21), in Santos, to begin serving a 9-year sentence for gang rape. On Wednesday, the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) had determined the validity of the former athlete’s conviction by the Italian courts.

“The prisoner will undergo an examination at the IML, a custody hearing and will be sent to the prison system”, stated the PF (Federal Police) in a note.

The former player, revealed by Santos and who played for the Brazilian team in the 2010 World Cup, left an apartment in the Aparecida neighborhood, in Santos, at around 7pm, taken by an unmarked PF car. As the vehicle’s windows are tinted, it was not possible to see the former athlete’s face when he entered the police premises.

According to sources at SAP (Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration) and the PF interviewed by the report, the former player will be taken to the Tremembé prison.

Tremembé is known as the prison of celebrities. The place is where convicts are sent who, because they have some type of fame (either because they are a public figure or because the crime had great repercussions), are at risk in common penitentiaries. Alexandre Nardoni, Cristian Cravinhos, Gil Rugai, Lindenberg Alves, Mizael Bispo de Souza and Guilherme Longo, as well as doctor Roger Abdelmassih, have passed or still are there.

Former Santos player Edinho, Pelé’s son, was also imprisoned there when he served time for money laundering.

According to Robinho’s relatives interviewed by the report, the arrest fell like a bomb on the family, who believed until the end that the STF would grant habeas corpus. They stated that the former player was calm, but worried about his children’s reaction to them being harassed. Faced with the arrest, the defense would have instructed Robinho to remain calm and reaffirmed the possibility that the decision would be reversed soon.

The arrest could be the last chapter in a soap opera that has been going on since 2013, when the rape alleged by the accusation occurred. Robinho was convicted in the first instance in 2017.

In 2022, the case was analyzed in the last instance and, since then, Robinho has sought refuge in Brazil. By law, the country does not extradite a native Brazilian. It was up to the Italian government to ask the Brazilian courts for his arrest, which has now been done.

After the STJ’s decision by 9 votes to 2 in favor of prison, Robinho’s last hope was to obtain a habeas corpus in the STF (Supreme Federal Court), which blocked the detention of the former player until the case was analyzed by the highest court. The request, however, was denied this Thursday by minister Luiz Fux.

“Considering the grounds set out throughout this vote, there is no evidence of a violation, by the Superior Court of Justice, of constitutional, legal norms or international treaties, characterizing illegal coercion or violence against the patient’s freedom of movement”, wrote the minister.

The former player’s lawyer had presented the request to the STF with the argument that there is “great legal plausibility” that the STF will reverse the STJ’s decision.

In the lawyers’ view, the validation of the Italian sentence “is completely contrary to the Constitution of the Republic”.

These arguments are used by lawyers because the Supreme Court is responsible for discussing issues related to the Constitution.

On Thursday afternoon, following communication from the STJ, the Federal Court of Santos (SP) issued an arrest warrant for Robinho. The document was issued by the 5th Federal Court of Santos and forwarded to the Federal Police.

Before his client was taken away by federal police, the lawyer stated that he was already at the disposal of Justice and that “despite many people thinking that he is not a man who follows the law.” He also said that his client “has no intention of fleeing, of not complying with what was determined.”

The lawyer also cited the case of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to argue that his client should only be arrested after exhausting the resources to which he is entitled.

“I think that based on the precedent that exists, which is very significant, which was exactly the situation that led to the release of President Lula, which is exactly the wording of not arresting until there is a final judgment, also applies to the case”, he stated .

“Until the decision examining the ratification of the decision leading to arrest is passed, it is not possible to comply with the arrest order. Likewise, the presumption of innocence is a violation,” added the defender.

According to the investigation by the Italian Public Prosecutor’s Office, Robinho and five other friends committed group sexual violence against the victim, who was drunk by them and, unconscious, taken to the establishment’s dressing room, where she was raped several times. The Brazilian has always denied the crime.

Ricardo Falco, a friend of the player, was also convicted. Because they left Italy during the investigation, the other four men accused of participating in the act could not be notified, and their case was separated from the process.

The former player has always denied that he committed the crime. This week, when the execution of the sentence in Brazil entered the STJ’s agenda, Robinho even published a video on his social networks in which he showed photos and prints that, according to him, would prove his innocence in relation to the rape case.

The court did not analyze whether or not Robinho committed the crime, but only whether he should serve in Brazil the sentence to which he was sentenced in Italy.

Before being arrested, Robinho led a normal life in Santos. On social media, he frequently publicizes his trips to beaches in the region, where he played footvolley with friends.

In February this year, he also participated in a barbecue at Santos’ Rei Pelé Training Center, along with the club’s professional squad. In a statement, the team denied, however, that the former athlete participated in the event. According to the club, he only went there to accompany his son Robson, who is an athlete on the under-17 team. Afterwards, he would have just greeted the first team players.

Timeline

January 2013
According to the accusation, Robinho and five friends committed “group sexual violence” against a young Albanian woman in a nightclub in Milan

November.2017
Robinho is sentenced by the Italian court in the first instance to nine years in prison

December.2020
Former player is sentenced in second instance in Italy

January.2022
Robinho is sentenced in the third and final instance of Italian justice

February.2023
Italy asks the Brazilian government for the former player to serve his sentence in Brazil

March.2024
STJ forms a majority for Robinho to serve the sentence imposed by the Italian Court in Brazil. Former player is arrested in Santos