Brazil According to 40-year-old Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo, his two former teammates Dani Alves and Robinho deserve prison sentences for the rape scandal.
"I have a 15-year-old daughter. If they did that to my daughter, I don't think I would be here giving this interview," Melo told Globo Sporte . "I believe we have to respect other people, women, men."
Melo in Fluminense jersey. Photo: Reuters
On February 22, Alves was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison by a Barcelona court for raping a 23-year-old woman at a Barcelona nightclub in late 2022. In addition, the former Barca and PSG defender was placed under legal supervision for an additional 5 years and was banned from contacting the victim for 9 years and 6 months.
Like Alves, former Real Madrid and AC Milan striker Robinho was also convicted of rape in an incident in Italy, but will serve a nine-year sentence in Brazil following a court ruling on March 20. In 2017, Robinho was convicted of participating in the gang rape of an Albanian woman in a Milan nightclub in January 2013, and was arrested at his Santos apartment last week.
"They have to pay for what they did. And let it be a lesson for others not to do it. This is very serious," Melo added, stressing the importance of educating children so that the same thing does not happen in the future.
Melo currently plays for Fluminense in Brazil, and played for the Brazilian national team in 2009-2010, making 22 appearances, and was part of the team that participated in the 2010 World Cup. At that time, Melo played for Juventus and was called up to the 23-man World Cup squad with Alves and Robinho. Melo also played for many clubs such as Flamengo, Fiorentina, Galatasaray and Inter Milan.
Melo (No. 5) with Dani Alves (No. 13) and Robinho (No. 11) in a situation to block Robben's dribble in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals. Photo: Reuters
In Alves' case, he was granted bail by the Spanish Court of Appeal on March 20. In addition to having to pay a bail of $1.1 million, the former Barca and PSG defender also had his passport confiscated, had to report to the police weekly, and was banned from contacting or traveling within 1 km of the accuser.
It was later reported that former Barca teammate Memphis Depay had paid Alves' bail. But Depay's agent, Sebastien Ledure, denied the reports. "This is fake news, it's completely untrue," Ledure told Informativos Telecinco.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian Football Confederation is causing controversy by not commenting on the Alves case. "Cases like this are a slap in the face to all women, especially Alves, who can pay to be free. Every case that goes unpunished is the seed for the next crime," Leila Pereira, president of Brazilian club Palmeiras, said in London on March 22.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also criticized the Spanish court's move to release Alves on bail. "We cannot remain silent in the face of these injustices. Money cannot buy dignity," he said on March 20. "The money that Alves got by borrowing from others cannot pay for the crime that a man commits against a woman by raping her."
Weeks before Robinho's trial in Brazil's Supreme Court, Lula said the former footballer should serve his sentence in Brazil. Alves and Robinho were staunch supporters of Lula's predecessor, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Hong Duy
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