Brazilian footballer Robinho found guilty of rape
Former Real Madrid and AC Milan footballer Robinho has been sentenced to 9 years in prison by an Italian court for gang raping an Albanian girl in a Milan night club on 22nd January, 2013. The Brazilian, along with 5 others, allegedly took advantage of the drunk woman, who was then 22-years-old. The 33-year-old has challenged the verdict.
Robinho denies sexual assault
Robinho, who is now playing for Brazil team Atletico Mineiro, denied all the charges but was ordered by the court to pay the woman 60,000 Euros as compensation for her suffering. This is not the first time that Robinho has been accused of sexual assault. He was accused in 2009 while playing for Manchester City but was later given a clean chit.
Will the striker get away with it?
Under the Italian law, Robinho won't be sentenced until the appeals process is finalised, which could take years. The former Real Madrid star has appealed against the sentence, however, if he loses the appeal, he could be extradited to serve prison time in Italy. But his lawyer claims Brazil does not extradite its own citizens when they are sentenced in other countries.
Illustrious football career marred by incident
Robinho's career began with Santos. Soon his exploits earned him a big money move to Real Madrid where he won two league titles in four years. He then joined Manchester City for 32.5m in 2008, breaking the British record transfer fee. The striker then moved to Italy and won Serie A with AC Milan. Robinho has 100 caps and 28 goals for his country.
