The Neymar case: the story so far

After only 17 minutes of Brazil’s first preparation match for the upcoming Copa América, star forward Neymar hobbled off the field in tears. In the early hours of Thursday morning, it was announced that he had torn ligaments in his right ankle and was cut from the Brazilian national squad. The injury capped off one of the most turbulent and scandal-ridden weeks in the 27-year-old’s career, and there is the promise of more upheaval to come.

The following article contains details of an alleged sex crime, which some readers may find upsetting.

On May 31, a Brazilian woman registered a police report in São Paulo, accusing Neymar of having raped her when the two met in Paris on May 15. According to the complaint, the footballer met the accuser on Instagram and she was invited to visit Neymar in Paris. On May 15, Neymar arrived at the hotel, “apparently drunk, and they began talking, fondling each other, until a given moment when Neymar became aggressive, and using violence, committed a sexual act against the will of the victim.”

Despite the alleged crime having taken place in France, the principle of extraterritoriality in Brazil’s penal code means that the case will be handled by Brazilian police, as it was reported in the country, and both the accuser and accused...