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Neymar testifies in rape case

PARIS Saint-Germain forward Neymar testified at a police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday in a cybercrimes investigation linked to a rape allegation against him.

The 27-year-old Brazilian denies the allegation of rape and insists he is the victim of attempted blackmail.

Reuters and Associated Press say they have seen a document filed in Sao Paulo alleging the footballer drunkenly assaulted his accuser at a hotel in Paris.

The former Barcelona player, who signed for PSG for a world record £198m in 2017, is alleged to have met the woman after they exchanged messages on Instagram. His assistant is said to have sent the woman plane tickets on May 15 and the pair checked in to the hotel.

According to the claims in the police report, after Neymar and the woman “caressed”, the footballer became “aggressive”, then used “violence” and “practised sexual intercourse against the will of the victim.”

Brazil and PSG striker Neymar posted a video on Instagram on Sunday in which he denies a rape allegation describing it as “a set-up”.

The seven minute video included images and messages which he says he exchanged with the accuser in a friendly way after the date of the alleged rape.

Neymar was called to speak with authorities on Thursday about posting images and messages of the accuser on social media without her authorisation in possible violation of her online privacy.

The Brazilian arrived at the police headquarters on Thursday in a wheelchair after rupturing his ankle ligaments in a friendly against Qatar on Wednesday.

He testified for around two hours before speaking to reporters outside the station.

“I only want to thank the support and messages that everybody sent,” he said.

Neymar is expected to speak to authorities in the coming days about the rape allegation, which is being investigated separately in Sao Paulo. – Sky Sports

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