Five footballers cleared of rape charges as Benjamin Mendy is exonerated

As French defender Benjamin Mendy is cleared of the rape charges levelled against him for incidents that date back to 2020, we take a look at five other football stars who have suffered a similar fate.

1. Neymar Jr.

Brazilian ace Neymar Jr in 2019 was accused of rape by a lady named Najila Trindade.

According to Najila, she alleged the 31-year old raped her in an hotel in Paris. The case was taken to court.

However, Neymar was cleared by the court of justice in Brazil after hidden secrets were revealed that Najila and her husband had connived blackmail the footballer.

According to a video released by Neymar Jr. on Instagram, the Brazil captain admitted to sleeping with the ladybut affirmed it was consensual, following his clearance from court, a defamation suit was filed against Najila.

2. Callum Hudson-Odoi

Ex-Chelsea forward, Callum Hudson-Odoi, in 2010 was accused and investigated following a rape allegation was made against him.

The 22-year old, the footballer was arrested on accusation of sexual assault but was cleared after thorough investigations were done.

Hudson-Odoi confirmed his clearance in a post on Twitter, “I have stayed silent and assisted the police fully throughout their enquiries, as I knew the day would soon come when my name would be cleared.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo was accused by Kathryn Mayorga, who claimed the player raped her at a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009.

She is said to have then reached an out-of-court settlement with the footballer for an amount of $375,000 in 2010.

However, Kathryn re-opened the case almost a decade later, saying her emotional trauma allowed her to accept his offer.

Ronaldo was cleared in June 2022 after it was revealed that Kathryn’s lawyer was found to have relied on leaked and stolen records.

4. Franck Ribery

In 2014, Franck Ribery was accused of statutory rape after allegedly sleeping with an underage prostitute.

The footballer, however, denied the allegations levied against him, and was cleared after prosecutors agreed that the charges were impossible to prove.

5. Karim Benzema

Benzema and Ribery were accused of sane offence saying both French players was said to have been involved with the same teenage girl.

Just like Ribery, the former Real Madrid striker was also cleared on all charges after prosecutors admitted the charges were impossible to prove.