The ninth section of the Milan court on Thursday charged former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker Robinho to nine years in prison for gang rape aganst a young Albanian woman.
However, the 33-year-old striker denied all involvement in the alleged gang rape denied the charges when his duty in 2014.
“We clarify that he has already defended himself from the charges, and insist he had no participation in that episode. All legal steps are already being taken regarding this decision in the first instance.” Alija said.
Robinho case occurred on January 22, 2013, when the player was defending Italian Serie A club AC Milan and the victim was 22 years old.
According to the investigation, the act had involved of Robinho and five other people. One of them, identified as Ricardo Falco, a friend of the attacker, was also sentenced to nine years in prison.
The other defendants were not tracked down by the court, which suspended the case against them. Prosecutor Stefano Ammendola had asked for a 10-years prison sentence for the Atletico player. The convicts also have to reimburse the young woman at 60 thousands euros, but, as the sentence was given at first instance, still appeal.
According to the victim’s testimony, she already knew Robinho and some of her friends and was with the group and two friends at Sio Café in Milan for a birthday party. At one point, according to the Albanian, her friends left and Robinho took his wife home.
The defendants would then have offered drink to the victim until to make her unconscious and unable to oppose.
“In the reconstruction prepared by the Prosecutor’s Office, the group took the young woman to the storeroom of the nightclub and taking advantage of his state, maintained” multiple and consecutive sexual relations with her”
Robinho joined Manchester City from Real Madrid in 2008. (Source:www.mcfcwatch.com)
During the trial, the defense stated that there is no evidence that the Albanian woman did not consent to the relationship nor that she had ingested alcoholic beverages to the point of being in “conditions of physical and mental inferiority.”
The Brazilian even released in 2014 a video calling the charge “sad” and threatened to sue the press for publishing “lying” information.
This is not the first polemic about sexual violence involving the player. He was questioned by British police after a young woman allegedly raped him at a nightclub in Leeds in 2009.
