Police to Close Rape Investigations Against Football Star Neymar
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The rape investigations against the Brazilian football star Neymar could soon be closed. According to a spokeswoman for the São Paulo prosecutor’s office on Monday, the police do not see sufficient evidence for a charge.
The outcome of the police investigation into the case will be handed over to the federal prosecutor’s office on Tuesday, March 30th. The latter will then decide on the next steps within two weeks.
Brazilian Najila Trindade Mendes de Sousa has charged Neymar with raping her at a meeting in a Paris hotel in mid-May. The 27-year-old national striker at the service of the French national champion Paris Saint-Germain rejects the charges and mentions consensual sex.
The Brazilian police now concluded that there is insufficient evidence that Neymar forced the woman to have sex and physically attacked her.
The federal prosecutor’s office may request that the case be closed, or further investigated. Judges must ultimately take the decision.
The São Paulo police will hold a press conference on Tuesday. A Neymar spokesman did not wish to comment on the latest developments.
The rape charges against the most costly football player in history had made the headlines worldwide. However, the credibility of the woman who had traveled to Paris for a meeting with Neymar was quickly questioned.
Several of her lawyers stepped down due to inconsistencies in the model’s statements. Among other things, the woman claims that a tablet computer containing an incriminating video of a second meeting with Neymar had been stolen from her.
During the course of the investigation, Neymar was interrogated by the police in São Paulo on June 13th concerning the allegations of rape. The striker is also being prosecuted separately for publishing private chat messages with the young Brazilian. Neymar intended to counter the rape charges but infringed Brazilian law while doing so.
The Brazilian police, on the other hand, have denounced Najila Trindade Mendes de Sousa for slander. The woman had accused the police of being bribed during a television interview.
Neymar is one of the most famous soccer players in the world and is revered by many Brazilians. In 2017, the national team player switched from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for the record sum of 222 million. Meanwhile, he is flirting with a return to Barcelona.
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