Though not revealed by prosecutors while investigating an alleged incident of rape and sexual assault at a posh Stockholm hotel, Swedish media had named France and Real Madrid star Mbappe as the suspect in the case.
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An investigation into an alleged case of rape and sexual assault in Stockholm, which reportedly targeted France and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, was dropped on Thursday.
Mbappe had visited the Swedish capital along with a group of people between 9-11 October after being left out of the French squad for their UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium. Swedish prosecution authority would later announce on 15 October that they were investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on 10 October without revealing the details of suspects.
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Several Swedish newspapers, including Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, later named the former Paris Saint-Germain forward as the suspect, with Mbappe’s representatives vehemently denying the accusations at the time.
Why has the alleged rape investigation against Mbappe been closed?
In a statement, lead investigator Marina Chirakova said there was not enough evidence to continue the investigation into the allegation at a hotel.
“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," Chirakova said. “The designated person has not been notified of suspicion of a crime.”
At the time Mbappé’s legal team dismissed those reports as false.
Mbappe’s lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard and the player’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Also Read | Kylian Mbappe breaks silence on Stockholm rape allegations against him
In an interview that aired Sunday on French TV station Canal Plus, Mbappé said he was “surprised” by the reports that he was the subject of a rape investigation and he had not been contacted by Swedish authorities.
“These are things that come into your life like that, you can’t see them coming,” Mbappé told Canal Plus. “It’s just incomprehension. I don’t think it weighed on me in the sense that I have never considered myself involved.”
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With AP inputs
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