Former Brazilian footballer Robson de Souza, also known as Robinho, was arrested in Santos, in the Brazilian state of São as judges ruled he should serve a nine-year sentence over his involvement in a gang rape in Italy back in 2013.
He is expected to have a custody hearing on Friday evening after the judgement in his case was published on Wednesday.
Robinho’s arrest comes as the Supreme Court (STF) denied on Thursday his appeal to remain out of custody while all judicial appeals against his conviction are exhausted, and ordered for the immediate start of his prison sentence, according to a statement from the STF.
The footballer’s defense team had appealed to Brazilian authorities to allow Robinho to serve his jail time in Italy, rather than Brazil and to remain free while all appeal proceedings are ongoing, according to the STF decision.
The 40-year-old former AC Milan and Brazil striker faces nine years in prison after being convicted in Italy for gang raping a woman with five other men in 2013 after plying her with alcohol in a Milan nightclub.
