Neymar rape accuser goes public with allegations in TV appearance
Najila Trindade, who filed the rape allegation against the Paris Saint-Germain forward on Friday, claims the incident occurred in a Paris hotel in May
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A woman who has accused Neymar of raping her has gone public with her allegations against the Brazil star.
Najila Trindade, who filed the rape allegation against the Paris Saint-Germain forward on Friday, claims the incident occurred in a Paris hotel on May 15.
Ms Trindade described herself as an "ordinary person who works, studies; I'm a model and a student of interior design who likes sports, training and dancing," as well as being "a daughter and mother."
"I was the victim of rape," she told SBT Brasil.
When the interviewer asked if what happened was rape or an "aggression" - an apparent reference to what her original lawyers say was her original complaint - she responded that it was "aggression together with rape."
Ms Trindade says she was ready for consensual sex with the 27-year-old but demanded that they used a condom. He then refused, became aggressive and raped her, she claims.
Neymar, who has admitted to having met the accuser in France twice, denies any wrongdoing.
Neymar's lawyers disputed a statement from Ms Trindade's legal team saying his representatives had asked for a meeting to discuss a settlement with the accuser. His attorneys issued a statement saying it was the woman's lawyers who sought the May 29 meeting, at which no agreement was reached.
The first complaint presented by Ms Trindade's legal team cited "aggression," or "physical violence," by Neymar. She filed a more serious rape complaint against Neymar on Friday with police in Sao Paulo. She later changed lawyers.
The TV station broadcast her comments as Neymar played for Brazil in a friendly with Qatar in the build-up to the Copa America which begins next week. He was forced off in the first-half with an ankle ligament injury that will now rule him out of the tournament.
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who attended the game in Brasilia, told journalists earlier in the day that he believes in Neymar.
"He is a kid. He is in a difficult moment, but I believe in him," he said.
Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, was elected in October after a campaign in which he promised to attack corruption and crime but also drew criticism for frequent anti-LGBT, misogynistic and racist remarks.
AP