A Brazilian judge accepted a recommendation from prosecutors on Thursday to close the investigation of football star Neymar on a rape allegation on the grounds of there being a lack of evidence against him.
Brazilian model Najila Trindade went to Sao Paulo police to accuse Neymar of raping her at a Paris hotel in May. No complaint was filed with French police. The Associated Press doesn't name alleged sexual assault victims unless they make their identities public, which Trindade did in several interviews.
Neymar denied the accusation and said their relations were consensual. He is in France, where he plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
Paulin said the model did not produce any of the evidence she claimed she had, including a video that allegedly proved the player attacked her.
The prosecutor said Trindade's only injury was to a finger.
Representatives for Neymar and Trindade did not respond to an AP request for comment on the conclusions of the Sao Paulo state prosecutors.
Neymar, meanwhile, is still under investigation in a cyber crime case connected to Trindade's allegations. After the model offered the rape charges, he posted images and messages of the accuser without her authorisation in his social media channels, in possible violation of her online privacy.
The player, who also testified in that investigation in Rio de Janeiro, said the images were posted by his press team.
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