Imprisoned in Penitentiary 2 of Tremembé, in the interior of São Paulo, famous for housing convicts in high-profile cases, Robinho, 41, reported part of his routine with the other inmates. In a video written by the Taubaté Community Council, an entity that aims to promote inclusion and employment for re-educated students, the former player stated that he does not receive any type of differentiated treatment in prison.
“The food, the time I sleep, everything is the same as the other re-educated students. I’ve never eaten any different food, I’ve never had any different treatment. When I’m working, I do everything here, which is also possible for all the other re-educated students. When we want to play football, we’re free when we don’t have work on Sunday”, he said.
Sentenced in Italy to nine years in closed prison for the crime of rape, the former Santos and Brazilian national team athlete has been in prison since March 2024 after the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) approved the sentence and ordered the sentence to be served in Brazil.
In his report, Robinho also said that he usually receives his wife and children on visiting days, on Saturdays or Sundays. According to him, visits from Robson Junior, 17, his eldest son, are less frequent because of his routine as a Santos player — he joined the Baixada club’s youth teams in 2022 and debuted with the professional team in July this year.
“When my wife doesn’t come alone, she comes with my children. The oldest plays, and the two youngest can come. The visit is the same, and the treatment is the same for everyone,” said the former player.
He also used the video to deny that he is treated as a kind of leader by other inmates and that he is being medicated for psychological problems.
“The lies that have come out: that I’m a leader, that I have a psychological problem. I’ve never had that, I’ve never had to take medication, thank God. Despite the difficulty of being in a penitentiary, it’s normal, but thank God I’ve always had a good head and I’m doing everything that all re-educated people can also do”, he stated.
“Here, the guards are in charge, as I told you, and we, re-educated, just obey”, he added.
In August of this year, the STF (Supreme Federal Court) formed a majority vote against Robinho’s request for freedom.
According to the Italian Court, Robinho and five friends committed sexual violence against a young Albanian woman in a nightclub in 2013. There, according to the Italian Court, the victim was drunk by them and, unconscious, taken to the establishment’s dressing room, where she was raped several times.
The former player was sentenced in 2017 to nine years in prison for the gang rape. In 2022, the sentence was considered final, with no possibility of new appeals. In Brazil, after the recognition of the sentence by the STJ, the former player’s defense filed two requests for habeas corpus.
