The Stockholm rape case involving allegations against Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been dropped due to a lack of evidence.
France international Mbappe had always maintained his innocence after being linked to the investigation by Swedish media outlets.
His representatives were quick to state that the allegations were “totally false” and “a slanderous rumour”.
Addressing the reports during an interview with Clique, Mbappe said – with the speculation surfacing after he was left out of France’s plans for UEFA Nations League fixtures and headed to Scandinavia for a break:
“I was surprised.
“These are things that happen that you don’t see coming.
“I didn’t receive anything, no summons.
“I read the same thing as everyone else.
“The Swedish government didn’t say anything. I’m not concerned.
“It didn’t weigh on me, because I never felt concerned.
“There’s a lot of noise, but I’ve always had the same intention, which is to concentrate on my job and see how it ends.
“If justice summons me, I will simply go.
“It wasn’t even a night out.
“I had five days off, I decided to leave.
“I was supposed to go somewhere else, but the coach told me to go somewhere less exposed.”
What Lead Investigator Said
However, it has now been revealed that the case in question, which centred around an incident at a hotel in the Swedish capital, has been dropped.
Lead investigator Marina Chirakova has said in a statement: “During the course of the investigation, there has been a designated person suspected on reasonable grounds of rape and two cases of sexual assault, but my assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed.
“The designated person has not been notified of suspicion of a crime.”
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Prosecutors never publicly revealed the identity of the suspect at the heart of the investigation, but Mbappe’s name has now been officically cleared and he is free to focus on professional matters at Santiago Bernabeu.
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