The Japan Times - Mbappe 'investigated for rape' in Sweden: report

After Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that an alleged rape had been reported to police but did not say who was accused, Expressen newspaper said 25-year-old Mbappe was the suspect.

"According to information obtained by Expressen, police are investigating the star who is reasonably suspected of rape and sexual assault," the newspaper wrote.

Swedish law enforcement differentiate the level of suspicion as either reasonable or probable, with reasonable being the lower degree of suspicion.

Mbappe's entourage, when contacted by AFP, said it had no knowledge of a legal complaint made against him.

The French international was not selected for his country's latest round of Nations League matches, so visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last Thursday.

They dined at a restaurant before going to a nightclub, according to the Aftonbladet report. Mbappe and the group left Sweden on Friday.

The newspaper said a rape was committed "in Stockholm city centre", citing a formal complaint made to police on Saturday that it had seen.

Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed after the alleged victim had sought medical attention but did not say who was named in the accusation.

Later, Expressen reported that Mbappe was the suspect.

Mbappe himself claimed in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there was a link between the Aftonbladet report and his hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday in his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says are unpaid wages.

Mbappe claims he is owed 55 million euros ($60 million) by the Qatari-owned French champions.

"FAKE NEWS !!!!. It's becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance," Mbappe posted.

A prosecutor investigating the accusation told AFP: "A probe is under way into a crime that was reported on October 10 in the centre of Stockholm."

- 'Slanderous' -

Swedish police declined to give any further details.

"In general, if we have received a complaint and decided to conduct interviews and we make it known (to the public), those involved in the case may take actions that delay and complicate the investigation," said police spokeswoman Carina Skagerlind.

Aftonbladet published photos on its website on Monday showing police officers in front of the hotel where Mbappe and the group with him had stayed.

Mbappe's entourage said in a statement sent to AFP: "Today, a new slanderous rumour is starting to spread across the web from the Swedish media Aftonbladet.

"These accusations are completely false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable.

"In order to put an end to this methodical destruction of (the) image (of Kylian Mbappe), all necessary legal action will be taken to re-establish the truth and pursue any person or media involved in the moral harassment and defamatory treatment that Kylian Mbappe is suffering repeatedly," the statement added.

A source close to Paris Saint-Germain told AFP it would "ignore" Mbappe's claim that there was a link between the report in Sweden and his dispute with the club.

Mbappe joined Madrid in the summer after seven years at PSG.

He has become one of the world's highest paid players after a stellar career.

He joined Pele as the only teenager to score in a World Cup final when France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the 2018 edition and was voted Best Young Player of the tournament.

Four years later in Qatar, he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina but finished on the losing side as Lionel Messi's side won in a penalty shootout.

S.Ogawa--JT