Charged over Cape Verde team claim

A woman who accused an international footballer of sexual assault at a central Auckland hotel has been charged with making a false statement after police found the complaint unsubstantiated.

Police confirmed on Wednesday that months of inquiries by the adult sexual assault team into the alleged March incident had concluded with no charges against any player.

Instead, a 40-year-old woman has been summonsed to appear in the Auckland District Court on November 10, charged under the Crimes Act with making a false statement.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard said investigators carried out an extensive inquiry after the matter was first reported to Auckland City Police on April 10.

“A decision to prosecute in these circumstances is not taken lightly and follows months of investigative work by our adult sexual assault team,” Beard said.

Police said the original allegation could not be substantiated and stated they would not comment further as the matter is before the court.

The case gained international attention in June after Brazilian publication Globo and the New Zealand Herald reported that Cape Verde national team captain Ryan Mendes had been the subject of the complaint.

The alleged incident was reported to have taken place on March 27 at the hotel where the Cape Verde squad was staying during a four-team Fifa tournament involving New Zealand, Finland, and Chile.

The woman had been hired by the Cape Verde football federation to work as an interpreter and provide operational support for the team during their stay.

At the time, police collected security camera footage from the hotel as part of their inquiries, while Fifa confirmed it was in communication with New Zealand authorities. Police routinely declined to confirm or deny the identity of individuals under investigation due to statutory privacy obligations.

Cape Verde later went on to make history during their World Cup campaign, becoming the smallest nation to reach the tournament’s knockout rounds.