Vini Jr. says French player acquitted of rape allegations lost two years of career: ‘Fake news’

Vini Jr. waited for the final decision regarding the judgment surrounding Benjamin Mendy to express support for the athlete. The French player was accused of rape and cleared in a British court.

In a post on social networks, the Brazilian was concerned about the damage to mental health that the accusations may, according to Vini Jr., have caused to the French player and criticized the coverage of the case by the press, saying that the footballer was judged with based on “fake news” and without “serious work.”

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, Benjamin Mendy. You’ve lost two years of your career, but that’s the least of this whole situation… What about the psychological damage? Surely your life will never be the same again. The culture of destroying reputations has claimed yet another victim. How long will we be accused and convicted without the right to basic defense?”, he began.

On Friday, a British court cleared the 28-year-old Frenchman of rape and attempted rape in the second trial he has faced. In the first, held earlier this year, he was also acquitted of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

“Fake news is created and spread without verifying any facts (something I personally felt a lot on this vacation) and the situation only gets worse. Being responsible would be the least for any professional, but nowadays serious work has become the exception. There are no limits to get more clicks and engagement. My question is what will be done to repair the damage?” said Vini Jr.

Benjamin Mendy was arrested in August 2021 and spent more than four months in pre-trial detention before being released in January 2022 and placed under judicial control.