New Zealand police dismiss rape allegation against Cape Verde soccer captain and charge accuser
New Zealand police have dismissed a rape allegation against Cape Verde soccer captain Ryan Mendes and charged the accuser with making a false statement. The incident, which allegedly occurred in a central Auckland hotel in March, was not substantiated, according to Detective Inspector Scott Beard. The 40-year-old woman involved is expected to appear in court next week.
Mendes, a 36-year-old player for RS Berkane in Morocco, has faced intense international media speculation following the allegation, which arose at nearly every media conference he attended as Cape Verde qualified for the 2026 World Cup. His lawyer, Karl Trotter, expressed relief that the case has been cleared and hoped for similar attention on this vindication.
Brief written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
