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By: Tayo Faloye.
Over the years reading about rape allegations, trials and prosecutions, it’s yet to come to my knowledge on any charges brought against ladies/ women known to have made untruthful sexual assault claims against their accusers. One begins to wonder why common sense isn’t common on this grave matter.
Sequel, the question begging for answer is how does the law balance the scale of justice in such issues if anybody can willfully concoct lies against an innocent person, even under oath, to get them jailed wrongfully and still walk free when it’s eventually found out the accuser did not only commit perjury but dehumanized another being for no tenable reason other than being malicious?
Isn’t the law truly an ass, whose wheels of justice never really grind at times, let alone slowly? Shouldn’t there be some set statutes to right wrongs done to people once found innocent on matters as this as a corrective means, while tightening the noose against rape/ sexual assaults?
These false campaign of calumny against sportsmen, celebrities, the wealthy, famous or any individual whatsoever must be brought to a halt. Any law that leaves loopholes for a group of people or gender taking advantage of the other should be reviewed and repealed to embolden prosecution of those found to have raised false claims. This is the only way to balance the justice scale and discourage the trend as a deterrent to would-be schemers.
Hence, I have curated some stories of known football players that have been targeted and falsely accused of rape over the years. The list is in no way exhaustive.
Read…
BENJAMIN MENDY
After years of court trials, former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of rape and attempted rape accusations that were leveled against him.
Mendy was accused in October 2020 of raping a 24-year-old woman at his home in Cheshire and of attempting to rape a 29-year-old woman, who alleged that the footballer molested her twice in 2018.
However, after Mendy denied both charges, he was found not guilty by a jury of six men and six women at Chester Crown Court.
One of the women accusing Mendy of rape allegedly searched the internet for his net worth before making her police statement, a court heard.
CRISTIANO RONALDO
Al-Nassr and Portugal International, Cristiano Ronaldo, was accused of rape in 2010 by an American lady named Kathryn Mayorga.
Mayorga claimed that the 5-times Balon D’Or winner raped her at a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009 and paid her $375,000 in 2019 to keep quiet.
Ronaldo, however, denied the accusation and maintained that although they had sex, it was consensual. The case was dismissed over a decade later in 2022, as the judges found Mayorga’s lawyer to have relied on leaked and stolen records as the basis to support their client..
NEYMAR JR
In 2019, Paris Saint-Germain and Brazilian forward Neymar was accused of rape by a Brazilian model identified as Najila Trindade.
Trindade claimed she flew from Brazil to France with the intention of meeting Neymar after they exchanged messages on Instagram. She alleged that the PSG star met her at a hotel drunk and forcefully had sex with her without her consent.
The case was dismissed in court and Neymar was cleared after Police failed to find enough evidence to substantiate the accusation made by the Brazilian model.
Crystal Mangum False Rape Case
CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI
English professional footballer and Chelsea’s forward, Callum Hudson-Odoi, was arrested in 2020 on an accusation of sexual assault.
He was, however, cleared of the allegation a few months later after the Metropolitan Police ended their investigations.
Taking to Twitter after his release, he wrote: “I have stayed silent and assisted the police fully throughout their inquiries, as I knew the day would soon come when my name would be cleared.”
MASON GREENWOOD
In January 2022, Manchester United forward, Mason Greenwood, was arrested in connection with images and videos with his girlfriend that had surfaced online, prompting allegations of attempted rape and assault causing actual bodily harm.
He was, however, cleared of the allegations after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges due to the withdrawal of key witnesses.
KARIM BENZEMA & FRANK RIBERY
The French duo was accused of having sex with an underage prostitute Zahia Dehar in 2014. It was believed the two paid her for sex.
Benzema vehemently denied the accusations, but his compatriot admitted he did have sex with her, but he had no idea she was a minor nor a prostitute.
Benzema and Ribery were later cleared of all the charges as there was no evidence to back the accusations.
ACHRAF HAKIMI
Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi was accused of rape after inviting a woman to his home. Hakimi and his wife had earlier quietly separated and living apart before the alleged rape incidence. Though the rape complainant didn’t wish to press charges but rather have the allegation on record, it’s understood that the prosecutor’s office is following up the complaint.
Hakimi has strongly denied the allegations and has asserted that he is a victim of attempted racketeering.
– Tayo Faloye
