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Mbappe won't tolerate his reputation and honour being sullied: France footballer rape allegations ‘fake’

Oct 16, 2024 02:34 PM IST

Kylian Mbappe dismissed reports of being involved in a rape investigation in Sweden.

Representatives for French football star Kylian Mbappé have dismissed reports circulating in Swedish media, which claim he is involved in a rape investigation in Sweden, as "false and irresponsible."

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe(AP)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe(AP)

Several Swedish news outlets, including the tabloids Expressen and Aftonbladet and broadcasters SVT and TV4, published reports, without citing any sources, claiming that the Real Madrid forward is under investigation for rape following his recent trip to Stockholm.

Following these reports, the Swedish prosecution authority released a statement on Tuesday confirming that a rape complaint had been filed.

"According to the report the incident took place on October 10, 2024, at a hotel in central Stockholm," said the statement published by the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

Prosecutor Marina Chirakova, who is leading that investigation, declined to give any further details.

"From my side I cannot confirm whether there is a suspect in the case," she told The Associated Press.

Names of suspects are typically not made public by Swedish authorities until charges are filed or a suspect is ordered held in pre-trial detention.

Mbappé's communications team accused Swedish media of spreading “slanderous” rumors.

"These accusations are totally false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable," they said in a statement sent to the AP and other media. Kylian Mbappé will under no circumstances tolerate his integrity, reputation and honour being sullied by unfounded insinuations."

In a post late Monday on his official X account Mbappé wrote "FAKE NEWS!!!!" and linked to a French article picking up the Swedish reports.

He appeared to draw a link between the reports in Sweden and a hearing in Paris on Tuesday in a legal dispute with former club Paris Saint-Germain over unpaid wages.

"It's becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance," the post said in French.

Mbappé's lawyers didn't comment as they arrived for and left the hearing in Paris on Tuesday.Later on Tuesday, a lawyer for Mbappé, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, told French broadcaster TF1 that her client was "bewildered" by the reports.

"We are told that a complaint has been lodged, but at this stage we don't even know against whom. A complaint does not make the truth, a complaint does not prove anything. And once again, I don't even know if the complaint is against him," she said.

Swedish media already last week reported on Mbappé's brief stay in Stockholm, publishing pictures of him and his entourage.

The French star had been given permission to skip international duty because of a minor thigh injury as France beat Israel and Belgium in Nations League matches on October 10 and October 14, respectively.

Mbappé, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, joined Real Madrid this summer after seven years at PSG.

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Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
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