Neymar rape accuser charged with extortion in Brazil
In this combination of file pictures created on September 10, 2019, Brazilian football star Neymar (left) and Brazilian student and model Najila Trindade Mendes de Souza, who accused footballer Neymar of rape and sexual assault at a Paris hotel, speaking during a television interview in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 5, 2019. PHOTO | MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL |
What you need to know:
- The case complicated an already tumultuous year for the 27-year-old Brazil star, who has yet to play for his club Paris Saint-Germain this season following injury and reports of an aborted return to previous club Barcelona.
On Friday, Neymar played his first game since suffering an ankle injury in June, grabbing a second-half equalizer for Brazil in a 2-2 friendly draw with Colombia.
SAO PAULO
Police in Sao Paulo said Tuesday they will bring extortion and slander charges against a Brazilian model who accused football star Neymar of rape.
Najila Trindade filed a rape complaint with Sao Paulo police upon her return from a trip to Paris in May in which she said she was assaulted by Neymar following a pre-arranged meeting.
A judge dismissed the case in August, citing insufficient evidence.
Instead, Sao Paulo prosecutors said in a statement that investigators had found "indications of slanderous denunciation and extortion" in the woman's accusation.
A final decision on whether to prosecute Trindade will be left to a judge.
Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer, has always protested his innocence, saying their relations were consensual.
The case complicated an already tumultuous year for the 27-year-old Brazil star, who has yet to play for his club Paris Saint-Germain this season following injury and reports of an aborted return to previous club Barcelona.
On Friday, Neymar played his first game since suffering an ankle injury in June, grabbing a second-half equalizer for Brazil in a 2-2 friendly draw with Colombia.
