Neymar Issues Statement on Instagram After Judge Dismisses Rape Charges

Neymar has released a statement on his Instagram account after it was confirmed the Paris Saint-Germain footballer would not be charged in relation to the rape allegations made against him in June.

Per Agence France-Presse (h/t the Daily Mail) on Friday, a Sao Paulo judge made the decision after prosecutors cited a lack of evidence against the Brazil international.

Following the news, Neymar addressed his social media followers with a message on Instagram, per Sport:

"This has been a stage in my life I'll never forget for many reasons. Mainly for the damage it has caused me, my family and the people who really know me. If I'm being honest, I can't say I'm happy, more relieved. This scar will remind me that human beings can do good things, but also the worst.

"Yes, my world has come crashing down and hit the ground. But as a jiu-jitsu legend once said: the ground is the final of everything, but for us it's just the beginning."

Neymar finished his statement by sending a message of support to those who have been the victim of rape in the past.

"I hope it isn't just a new beginning for me but for all those who have suffered from false accusations and, above all, for every woman who has been a victim such an act," he said. "I wish for them to be strong, to fight and to achieve everything they deserve to."

Prosecutor Flavia Merlini had called for "closure" of the case, noting "what happened between four walls is impossible to know, we have her word against his." It's added the case could be opened again should fresh evidence emerge.

Najila Trindade filmed herself confronting Neymar the day after he allegedly raped her.

"I'm going to hit you...because you assaulted me yesterday," she says in the video of the pair in a hotel room, per AFP. "You left me here alone."

On June 2, Neymar denied the accusation in a video on Instagram. The Brazilian model made the allegation against the player in May in Sao Paulo after returning from the French capital.

The former Barcelona man was also investigated for the Instagram video over accusations he breached privacy laws by showing photos Trindade had sent him, though there has been no update on that case.