An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday, December 12.
The 25-year-old French star, one of the highest-profile players in world football, visited the Swedish capital October 9-11 with a group of people after he was not selected by his country for a Nations League match.
Sweden’s prosecution authority announced on October 15 that it was investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on October 10, without mentioning the suspect by name. Several Swedish media outlets, including newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, identified Mbappé as the suspect.
“My assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed,” prosecutor Marina Chirakova said in a statement that also did not mention Mbappe by name. Chirakova said the suspect had “not been notified of suspicion of a crime.”
“I have concluded, based on what has emerged in the case, that new evidence, including interrogations of the person in question, would not change the evidence situation right now,” she told Agence France-Presse.
Petra Eklund, the lawyer for the plaintiff, whose name has not been disclosed, told AFP she had “no comment” to the news that the case had been closed.
Mbappé’s lawyer said in October that he was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation. Speaking for the first time about the case on Sunday, the footballer told French television show Clique he was “not involved.”
“I haven’t received anything, no summons… I’m not involved,” he said.
According to Aftonbladet, Mbappe and his entourage dined at a restaurant one evening before going on to a nightclub. Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on October 12 after the alleged victim had sought medical attention. Expressen reported that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top. Photographs showed police officers leaving the hotel with brown bags.
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