Police investigating rape allegations against Brazilian football player Neymar say they have closed the case.
The São Paulo attorney general’s office said the case was suspended due to a lack of evidence, but will be sent to prosecutors for a final decision, BBC reported.
The investigation was opened after Brazilian model Najila Trindade alleged the footballer attacked her in a hotel in Paris, France, in May. Neymar has denied the accusations, saying he is being extorted, reported The Sauce.
The case has gripped Brazil, where it has dominated newspaper headlines. It first came to light in June, when the Paris St-Germain star released a seven-minute video on Instagram revealing that he had been accused of rape. He also published Whatsapp messages and images that he claimed to be of the woman.
In the video, he says he had to make them public to “prove that nothing really happened”. Ms Trindade then went public, giving a television interview and releasing footage and a video clip purportedly showing an altercation between the two.
Police later filed a defamation suit against Ms Trindade, who allegedly insinuated the force was corrupt, according to news agency AFP.
Prosecutors now have 15 days to evaluate the case before a judge makes a final ruling.
Neymar is not the only footballer who has gotten off sexual assault charges, as reported by The Sauce, World-renowned football star Cristiano Ronaldo will not face charges after being accused of sexual assault by a woman named Kathryn Mayorga, 34 who had alleged that the Portuguese Juventus player raped her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Las Vegas prosecutors said the claims could not “be proven beyond a reasonable doubt”.
