Mbappe 'shocked' to see name linked to Swedish rape investigation

PARIS — Kylian Mbappe was "shocked" to see his name linked to a Swedish rape investigation and the Real Madrid and France star will take legal action for libel, his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time).

Mbappe's lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, insisted that the captain of the French national team was "at ease" because "he has done nothing wrong", after media reports in Sweden said the player was a suspect following a visit with friends to Stockholm.

A Swedish prosecutor said earlier Tuesday that a rape investigation had been opened without mentioning Mbappe.

Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen, as well as public broadcaster SVT, reported that Mbappe was the target of the investigation, following his two-day visit to the city last week.

Speaking to AFP, Canu-Bernard said Mbappe had "asked my office not to leave things as they are because it is impossible to allow yourself to be slandered and defamed in this way".

"This is why we are going to file a complaint for libel."

Sweden's Prosecution Authority said that the alleged rape had occurred at a hotel on October 10 but did not name a suspect and said no further information could be shared for the moment.

"In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police," a statement said.

According to a filing with the Stockholm district court reviewed by AFP, the alleged offense took place at the upscale Bank Hotel in the center of Sweden's capital.

The names of the plaintiff and the suspect were both redacted in the document.

Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing anonymous sources, while Aftonbladet and SVT said Tuesday they had also obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect.

Expressen said Mbappe was "reasonably suspected" of rape and sexual assault, the lower of two degrees of suspicion in the Swedish legal system.

According to the Prosecution Authority, the higher degree of suspicion, "probable cause," is usually a prerequisite for a suspect to be remanded in custody prior to a formal charge.

Lawyer Petra Lund, who represents the plaintiff, told AFP on Tuesday that