Robinho’s arrest generates debate about sexual violence in sport; experts highlight an environment of power and impunity | Santos and Region

Robinho’s arrest in Santos (SP), last Thursday (21), for the crime of gang rape against an Albanian woman in 2013, in Milan, Italy, brings to light again the cases of sexual violence against women involving actors from the world of sport. Daniel Alves, convicted of rape in Spain, and coach Alexi Stival, known as Cuca, whose rape case was annulled by the Swiss courts, are constantly in the news and are topics of debate.

O g1 he heard lawyers who defend women victims of sexual violence to understand why professionals working in the sporting world have been involved in scandals of this nature: rape, harassment and sexual harassment.

Lawyers Laura Cardoso, Carol Valentino and Ana Carolina Candido Alves on the reporting team demonstrated that they view the issue in the same way. The first point of consensus regarding what would motivate the cases is, according to them, the favorable financial condition and contacts of these men. Professionals highlight the power and the belief in impunity.

“It’s a sigh of relief given everything we see in reality. And to understand that, yes, the judiciary can work”, Laura pointed out.

The lawyer explained that part of society has an idea in mind of what would be considered sexual violence. Thus, other situations that do not fit this “standard” end up being normalized, which helps to perpetuate the “rape culture”.

Laura understands that football players, like athletes in other sports, tend to have a very rapid rise in social status, which can affect their psychology. Carol Valentino, also a lawyer, follows the same line of reasoning and understands that there is a great social demand for the practice of ostentation.

She cites as an example parties surrounded by expensive goods and women, which reinforces the idea of ​​seeing them as property. “It ends up giving an interpretation that money gives him freedom to do whatever he wants. And this is very confused with this issue of rape culture, the delegitimization, for example, of women who work in prostitution”, said Carol.

Recordings of the Robinho case: “The woman was completely drunk”

Carol cited an audio by Robinho (present in the video above) to reinforce her position on the posture of these athletes. The excerpt highlighted by her, from a tapped call from the former player, was used by the Italian courts during the investigation process, which led to the conviction.

“In Robinho’s own audio, he says: ‘Imagine, making her perform oral sex on me is not having sex. This is not rape.’ At no point does he deny the questions he would have asked her, of a sexual nature. He says he didn’t rape. But he doesn’t understand that this is rape.”

Robinho is not the first sportsman to be involved in sexual crimes, inside and outside Brazilian territory. As previously mentioned, Daniel Alves was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for raping a woman in Spain.

Coach Alexi Stival, known as Cuca, who is in charge of Athletico-PR, was convicted of raping, at the time, a 13-year-old girl during a Grêmio tour to Switzerland in 1987. The Berne Court, however, annulled the sentence that had condemned the technician.

He was not acquitted, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of that country claimed that the crime was time-barred and, as he could not have a new trial, the sentence was annulled and the case was terminated.

For lawyer Ana Carolina Candido Alves, some factors help to increase the visibility of this type of case, which ends up having repercussions in the media.

“Always existed. Today, pressure from the media, combined with the courage of these women to come forward and talk about their pain, is reflecting on institutions and preventing institutional violence. I say this in cases that are similar to famous ones, because, when it comes to [predadores] anonymous, constitutional violence continues to prevail”, he opined.

She highlighted that victims are revictimized “in the most cruel and imaginable way” in cases of sexual violence. Everyone needs support from friends and family to get through this situation, but in cases of national repercussion it is essential to have legal advice to help with positions in the media.