Robinho (foto: Posnetek zaslona)
The former Brazilian footballer, sentenced to nine years in prison for gang rape in Italy, is seeking a legal loophole to secure early release.
Robinho, who has been incarcerated for 11 months in Tremembé Prison in São Paulo, is attempting to shorten his sentence with the help of his legal team. The ex-Brazil international was convicted in Italy for a 2013 gang rape and initially avoided prison by staying in Brazil, which had no extradition agreement with Italy at the time.
However, after finally being imprisoned, Robinho’s lawyers have now filed a formal request to review his sentence, arguing that Brazilian law differs from Italian law regarding the crime.
According to Globo, his legal team is pushing for a sentence revision, requesting that the punishment be adjusted to six years in a semi-open regime, the minimum sentence for such a crime under Brazilian law. If granted, this would allow Robinho to leave prison under reduced restrictions.
Speaking to TV Record, Robinho continues to claim innocence, stating that he has sufficient evidence to prove he was wrongly convicted—evidence, he claims, that the Italian judiciary ignored.
A notorious prison with high-profile inmates
Robinho is currently serving his sentence in Tremembé, a notorious Brazilian prison known as the "prison of the famous", housing politicians, analysts, and high-profile criminals. Among its 430 inmates are some of the country’s most infamous criminals, including Alexandre Nardoni, Cristiano Cravinhos, and Roger Abdelmassih.
His appeal will be reviewed on March 13 in an online hearing by the Special Court, where a decision on his potential early release will be made.