Swedish Prosecutors Conclude Rape Investigation, Media Had Linked to Kylian Mbappé

Swedish prosecutors have concluded an investigation into a reported case of alleged rape, an inquiry that Swedish news outlets had associated with French football captain Kylian Mbappé. Marina Chirakova, representing the Swedish Prosecution Authority, stated that the probe into a purported assault in Stockholm was terminated because of insufficient evidence. The Real Madrid forward, recognized as one of football’s most prominent figures, was never officially identified by Swedish prosecutors nor informed by them that he was suspected of any offense. When these accusations emerged in October, Mbappé’s legal representative indicated that her client intended to clear his reputation by filing a defamation lawsuit. Mbappé himself had earlier characterized these reports as “fake news”. Ms. Chirakova, the senior prosecutor who led the initial inquiry, determined that the available evidence was “not sufficient to proceed further, and the investigation is therefore closed”. As reported by Le Figaro newspaper, the footballer’s legal counsel chose not to provide a statement. The alleged rape, along with two reported instances of sexual harassment, reportedly occurred at a hotel in the Swedish capital on 10 October. Multiple Swedish media organizations, such as the newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen, and the public broadcaster SVT, identified Mbappé as a potential suspect. Mbappé had been in Stockholm during that period. Law enforcement officials were observed at the Bank hotel, where he had lodged, with officers subsequently departing carrying bags. A particular report indicated that they had collected clothing from the hotel as evidence. On Sunday, Mbappé addressed the matter publicly for the first time on the French television program Clique, stating he was “not involved”. He further added, “I haven’t received anything, no summons… I’m not involved.” His lawyer had previously denounced the Swedish media coverage as defamatory and asserted that no information about the complaint was known. Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard remarked, “[Mbappé] is never alone. He is never put in a position where he ends up in a situation that would lead to him taking a risk.” This week, the Real Madrid forward achieved his 50th Champions League goal. He made a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) earlier in the current year. As a teenager in 2018, he secured a World Cup victory in Russia and netted a hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar – a match France ultimately lost on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina. During his tenure at PSG, he formed a renowned trio alongside Messi and Brazilian forward Neymar. Last year, the Paris-born athlete placed third for both the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player awards.