A well-known Portuguese football player at a team of the Greek Super League, was brought before a public prosecutor on Monday on charges of raping a 17-year-old girl. Olympiakos FC defender Ruben Semedo was arrested and brought before a public prosecutor on Monday on charges of raping a 17-year-old girl. He is to appear before a public prosecutor on Tuesday. A second person, a 40-year-old foreign national, has been implicated in the case, but he has not been detained, so far.
Semedo was arrested on Sunday by police officers in the Attica Security Protection of Minors Department after the girl reported that he had lured her to his house and raped her, together with a 40-year-old foreign national, state news agency amna reported.
According to kathimerini, the 17-year-old has reportedly told the police that she had met the 27-year-old Portuguese player at a bar in Oropos for drinks last Saturday, after which he drove her to his house in the southern suburb of Glyfada where she alleged she was sexually assaulted.
The girl has reportedly said that the incident happened in the early hours of August 28 when she met the well-known football player in a club. Together with her mother, the girl made the denouncement at the Vyronas police station on Sunday. She girl was examined by a coroner, Alpha TV reported and the report will be added to the file on Tuesday morning.
Monday afternoon, police arrested also the 40-year-old man, a Nigerian national, who introduced himself to the girl as the player’s manager, as ANT1 TV reported.
News website news247.gr reported that Semedo will remain in detention until his deposition to investigating authorities.
Semedo rejects accusations
The football player rejects all accusations and his lawyer told media that the girl was 19 years old and not 17. The lawyer said further that his client will bring evidence at the prosecutor on Tuesday that will dismiss all allegations made by the girl.
According to sports newspaper gazetta.gr and other media, the lawyer claimed further that the girl “looks like a 23- or 24-year-old and not like a 17-year-old.”
The lawyer also told reporters outside the court, “that the alleged victim told the athlete she was 19 years old and had been partying with him and others for several hours before the alleged incident took place,” ekathimerini noted adding that Semedo will testify before the investigated magistrate on Tuesday.
Olympiakos reaction
Monday afternoon, Olympiakos FC issued a statement saying that it will take position on the issue once justice has spoken.
“OLYMPIAKOS FC fully and indiscriminately respects the presumption of innocence of each accused, which includes the right to argue against the accusation.
It is therefore awaiting the judgment of the independent judiciary and while the investigation of the criminal case concerning the football player Ruben Semedo is pending, before it, it will not take any position,” the statement said.
As news travel fast, Semedo’s arrest has already making headlines in Portuguese media, sports website sport24.gr reported Monday noon.
other sources: besoccer, portugalresident and others
