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Brazilian former football star Robinho, who just finished serving his first year of a nine-year sentence for gang rape, is reportedly working to reform himself in hopes of receiving parole.
Robinho began serving his sentence in late March 2024, after the Brazilian court approved Italy's request to allow the 41-year-old to complete his prison time in Brazil, ESPN reported.
He is currently detained at the Tremembe penitentiary in Sao Paulo, a prison known for housing high-profile inmates, including corrupt politicians and convicted murderers.
According to Marca, Robinho has embraced prison life with a focus on rehabilitation. He reportedly maintains good relationships with other inmates and is considered a model prisoner. His daily routine includes playing football, reading, gardening and learning how to repair electronics such as televisions and radios. Under Brazilian prison regulations, 12 hours of labor can reduce a prison sentence by one day. Robinho has also completed 10 modules of the Education for Work and Citizenship Program.
"He kept his head down and moved on quietly, he is an exemplary prisoner and has not had any problems with other prisoners, he keeps himself busy," says Robinho’s lawyer Mario Rosso.
Upon arriving in prison, Robinho spent 10 days in solitary confinement before being transferred to a shared cell with a 22-year-old inmate convicted of inciting suicide.
The facility, which accommodates approximately 2,500 detainees, has small cells ranging from 8 to 15 square meters, with up to six people sharing a single space, according to Daily Mail.
Many prisoners were temporarily released for 11 days last Christmas, but Robinho did not qualify for this privilege and was unable to spend the holidays with his wife Vivian and their three children, the Mail reported.
Under visitation rules, Robinho is allowed to see only first-degree relatives, including his wife, children and parents. His son Robinho Jr., who recently signed with Santos at age 17, visits him roughly once a month. Robinho can receive basic supplies and personal items from family, such as food, drinks, clothes, books, games and non-pornographic magazines or books.
Robinho was convicted of gang-raping an Albanian woman at a Milan nightclub in 2013. He has denied the charges, admitting to having sex with the woman but claiming it was consensual. Notably, police found no traces of his DNA on the victim.
He was first sentenced in 2017 by an Italian court, with the ruling upheld through multiple appeals.
Robinho’s football career was once flourishing. He began at Santos, before playing for Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan. He later had stints in China (Guangzhou Evergrande), Brazil (Atl3tico Mineiro), and Turkey (Sivasspor, İstanbul Başakşehir). Over the course of his career, Robinho won multiple domestic titles, played 100 matches for Brazil, scored 28 goals and won the 2007 Copa América. He also featured in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup.
