On the evening of March 21st, AS reported that forward Robinho had been arrested to serve a 9-year prison sentence for rape during his time playing in Italy in 2013. The former Real Madrid star was convicted by an Italian court to the 9-year imprisonment term in 2017. In 2022, the Italian authorities requested Brazil to apprehend Robinho to serve his sentence in his home country, as South America’s nation lacks extradition provisions for citizens convicted of crimes. Following a recent session, 8 out of 10 votes from members of Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (STJ) supported Robinho’s arrest and the enforcement of the sentence in his homeland.
The anticipation of Robinho’s arrival will be met with stifling conditions in Brazilian prisons characterized by severe overcrowding and inadequate facilities. It is a common occurrence for dozens of inmates to share a single cell due to the overwhelming number of prisoners in the South American nation exceeding the government’s capacity for enforcing sentences. Prisons in the land of Samba are often likened to “earthly hells”.
According to a report by The Sun, the inmate population in Brazil has surged by 372.5% from 2000 to 2022. Prison cells have become so overcrowded that inmates have to take turns standing by the windows to breathe fresh air. Carandiru in Sao Paulo – the largest prison in South America – currently detains up to 6,508 inmates. Many prisoners are even crowded into initial holding cells originally designed for single occupancy.
The overcrowding of prisoners has resulted in unsanitary and cramped conditions. Diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis spread like an epidemic.
Some prison cells have had to employ nylon materials to prevent cell deterioration following heavy rainfall. Numerous inmates have reported enduring several days without exposure to sunlight, even lacking access to drinking water, and being subjected to beatings with iron rods.
Sexual violence occurs frequently – victims report being gang-raped to authorities but no actions are taken. In 2017, a horrific riot occurred in the Amazonas state prison resulting in 56 fatalities. Also in the same year, 33 inmates in Roraima state were found disemboweled.
In 2019, another prison gang drug trafficking clash occurred in the state of Para. A total of 57 individuals lost their lives, including 16 who were decapitated and burned alive. Furthermore, perpetrators of the violence even utilized the severed heads of some victims as makeshift soccer balls.
