The investigation into an alleged rape in Stockholm that reports had linked Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe to has been closed.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority confirmed on Thursday the investigation into a suspected rape and two cases of sexual harassment at a hotel in central Stockholm on October 10 would not be proceeded with due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
Senior prosecutor and head of the preliminary investigation Marina Chirakova said: “During the course of the investigation, there has been a designated person reasonably suspected of rape and two cases of sexual harassment, but my assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed further and the investigation is therefore closed. The designated person has not been served with suspicion of crime.”
Claims linking Mbappe to the case first emerged after a report in Swedish media outlet Aftonbladet said Stockholm police were investigating an alleged rape in the city and that, as part of the case, officers had visited the hotel where Mbappe and some friends of his stayed.
Mbappe’s lawyer said in October the Real Madrid striker believed he had “nothing to be reproached for” following the reports.
Mbappe was not available for France during October’s international break because of fitness concerns, and he travelled to Sweden with friends and family for some leisure time.
The Aftonbladet report said police visited the hotel on Monday October 14 and that Mbappe and his friends left Sweden on Friday October 11. Swedish prosecutors confirmed on October 15 that a report of rape in a hotel in central Stockholm had been received and that a preliminary investigation was being carried out by senior prosecutor Chirakova.
This report appeared on Monday and, soon after, stories repeating the claims appeared in other media, including in Mbappe’s native France. It prompted the striker to write “FAKE NEWS!!!” in a post on X, referencing one of several articles that were published.
Speaking to French television station TF1 in October, Mbappe lawyer’s Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard said she did not even know whether Mbappe was the subject of the rape complaint.
But she insisted that her client was “serene” about his situation.
She said: “He’s never alone. He’s never exposed to finding himself in a situation where there would be, for him, a risk being taken. So for this reason, this totally excludes the fact that he could have performed reprehensible actions. That’s an absolute certainty.
“He’s particularly serene, but he’s totally astounded to see this kind of media storm. He doesn’t understand at all what he can be reproached for, closely or from a distance.”
When asked whether Mbappe would submit himself to the Swedish justice system is the complaint was made against him, Canu-Bernard said: “If that were the case, obviously. But once more, today he showed absolute serenity and moreover he went to training, because he has strictly nothing to be reproached for.”
A statement from Mbappe’s entourage read: “Kylian Mbappe will not tolerate under any circumstances his integrity, reputation and honour being tarnished by unfounded insinuations.
“To put an end to this methodical destruction of his image, all necessary legal actions will be taken to establish the truth and pursue each person or media outlet implicated in the moral harassment and defamatory treatment that Kylian Mbappe repeatedly suffers.”
The Athletic has approached Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe for comment.
Meanwhile, the Ligue de Football Professional (LFP) disciplinary committee has dismissed Mbappe’s claims he is owed unpaid salary and bonuses by former club Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe is seeking recompense amid claims PSG still owe him €55million (£46.4m; $60.6m) after he left the club following the expiry of his contract in June before moving to Real Madrid.
The LFP disciplinary committee described Mbappe’s referral as “inadmissible” with the dispute still set to go to an employment tribunal.
(Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
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