NEW: Brazilian Media Reporting That Cabo Verde World Cup Star Allegedly Raped Team Translator

NEW: Brazilian Media Reporting That Cabo Verde World Cup Star Allegedly Raped Team Translator

According to the Brazilian media company Ge.globol.com, a top player on the Cabo Verde World Cup team is being investigated for rape.

 

“Messages show that a Brazilian woman sought help from the Cape Verde Federation to report a rape. In conversations, officials from the organization did not support the Brazilian woman, and one of them treated the case as ‘Ryan Mendes' personal problem.’  The player is being investigated by the New Zealand police,” reported GE on Sunday.

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According to reports, he knocked on her door in the hotel, and when she opened it, Mendes allegedly forced his way into her room, throttled, punched, and bit her, before raping her, according to her statement to New Zealand police.

 

“The Brazilian woman who accused the captain of the Cape Verde national team, Ryan Mendes, of rape in New Zealand, unsuccessfully sought help from the Cape Verdean Football Federation on more than one occasion. Messages captured on her cell phone show attempts to contact at least three officials from the institution. Even before filing a police report, the Brazilian woman shared her story with a federation employee: Sol Cabral, from the operations department. After filing the complaint, the Brazilian woman contacted two more people from the organization: Gerson Melo, then Director of Development, and Igo Gomez, from the operations department,” according to GE

 

Allegedly,  “The incident occurred on March 27th of this year, at the hotel where the Cape Verde delegation was staying to play friendly matches in Auckland, New Zealand, and has been under investigation by the country's police since April 10th. The Brazilian woman was there hired by the New Zealand Federation to work as an interpreter and provide operational support for the Cape Verde national team in the FIFA Series.”

This is the second player in the World Cup who is facing sexual assault allegations.

Ghana team member Thomas Partey is facing multiple charges in England.