Premier League footballer questioned over rape claims
A Premier League footballer remains under investigation after being further questioned by police on suspicion of raping three women and sexually assaulting a fourth, the BBC can reveal.
This is a year later BBC News Investigationinterviewed five women who have accused the Premier League player of rape, sexual assault or controlling behaviour.
Despite four women reporting the man – whom we’ll call Player X – to police for alleged sexual offenses between 2021 and 2023, he continued to play for the club.
One woman has told the BBC that a lack of action from clubs and the governing body led her to attempt suicide.
“I don’t want to live in a world where I’m constantly reminded that rape accusations can be ignored as long as you’re talented enough,” she explained.
Another woman said they believed that had Player X been suspended after the first allegation, she would not have continued to be sexually assaulted.
Football bodies say they take sexual misconduct very seriously.
The BBC confirmed that the footballer went to a police station on Thursday, November 7, and was interviewed under caution – the first time he had been questioned about rape allegations reported by a fourth woman last year.
Two and a half years have passed since Player X was first arrested on suspicion of rape in July 2022, based on a report from a woman. Soon after, he was also arrested for earlier accusing another woman of rape, who reported him to police in August 2021.
In February 2023, Player X was interviewed by the police in connection with an allegation of sexual assault made by a third woman.
Privacy rules over the suspect’s identity mean the BBC will not reveal the footballer’s name. The BBC understands the player has denied wrongdoing.
One of the women, whom we will call Kira, first reported Player
“This investigation is my only chance of justice and it is exhausting both physically and mentally… the longer the investigation drags on, the more my trust in the system erodes,” she told the BBC.
A BBC investigation in November found that players or owners at seven of 20 Premier League clubs had been investigated by police for sex crimes since 2020.
However, these bodies only have provisions for how to respond if allegations of this nature occur within a “football environment” or involve children or vulnerable adults. Therefore, they stated that the allegations against Player X did not fall within their protection claims.
This contrasts with the approach in the United States, where the NFL and MLB have disclosure policies for players or staff accused of sexual or domestic violence.
In November last year, the women told the BBC that clubs, the FA and the Premier League were putting commercial interests ahead of women’s safety.
The celebrity status of top footballers has led to calls for players involved in criminal charges to be suspended until investigations are fully investigated.
Dame Caroline Dinage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, told the BBC last year that footballers’ public role model status meant it was vital that any allegations of sexual abuse were dealt with appropriately.
She added: “As part of the new regulator’s role in setting licensing conditions, we would like to see it have the power to hold clubs to account for their practices and lack of progress in improving all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion.”
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC that an investigation was ongoing and was a matter for the police, the FA and the Premier League.
After first reporting the incident to police in August 2021, Kira “desperately” sent emails about her allegations to the FA, Premier League and club the next month because she feared he would continue to be involved while he was under investigation. Playing football on such a big platform.
The club told her that her allegations could not be discussed for legal reasons. The Premier League led her to the FA.
More than four months after contacting the FA about her allegations, the FA told her in an email that “no further action will be taken” as the alleged conduct did not breach its rules.
It said there was “no evidence” that Player X “posed a risk of harm to children or adults at risk”. It sent her a PDF document called “Football’s Child Protection Policy” but it did not apply to her.
“They hide behind a lack of policy while knowing that the regulations they have in place are designed to protect profits, not victims,” Kira said.
In July 2024, Kira again contacted the club, the Premier League and the FA to send them evidence that she was a “vulnerable adult”.
In an email seen by the BBC, the club told her they had forwarded her letter to the Premier League and the FA. The Premier League told her it was unable to discuss the allegations, which are currently under police investigation. The FA told her it could not share any details or updates on whether the FA had taken any intervention.
“In addition, we refer to our email… in which we explained that we were not the individual’s employer,” it added.
Speaking about the response, Kira told the BBC that their letters “reinforced a devastating message: I don’t matter, it doesn’t matter more women come forward, and even if I meet the safeguarding requirements, I never will” important”.
Another woman, Mia, said she believed that had the FA and the club taken action when first alerted to the rape allegation in 2021, she would not have subsequently gone to Player X’s home to accuse him of sexually assaulting her .
She told the BBC: “If they had decided to take the first allegation seriously…if they had suspended him, I wouldn’t have been in the position I was in that day.”
“Their decision pains me,” she said.
While the FA has a detailed policy for players accused of betting on matches, there is no similar policy for players accused of sexual or domestic violence that occurs outside a football environment.
Clubs have had mixed reactions to players and key figures being investigated by police for such offenses – some opting to suspend them, others not.
Some lawyers in the UK have pointed out that in the absence of overarching rules, football clubs face a number of legal difficulties as they consider how to deal with players facing accusations of sexual or domestic violence.
This month, Benjamin Mendy, who was accused of rape and sexual assault in 2021 but later acquitted of all charges, successfully sued Manchester City for unpaid wages during the suspension period.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “Metropolitan Police officers are investigating a number of reports of suspected sexual offenses that occurred between 2021 and 2023.
“A man in his 30s was arrested in July 2022. He has since been interviewed by police on two further occasions under caution.
“The investigation remains ongoing and detectives are continuing to carry out an intensive investigation. Those who come forward to police will continue to receive support from the Metropolitan Police.”
The football club and Premier League told CNN they were unable to comment on the ongoing police investigation.
An FA spokesman added: “Our safeguarding policies and procedures enable us to support and protect children and adults who are at risk in football-related settings.”
“Wherever the incident occurs, if the person plays a role in football we always carry out a thorough safety risk assessment and if we believe there is a risk of harm to children we will take appropriate action. We are unable to comment specifically “
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