Vinícius Jr expresses support for player cleared of rape accusation

Vinícius Júnior took to social media to express his support for Frenchman Benjamin Mendy, who was cleared last Friday (14th) of accusations of rape and sexual harassment that caused him to be arrested and removed from the Manchester City squad, the club for which he was playing at the time. The Brazilian striker, in addition to defending his professional colleague, also criticized the “culture of destroying reputations”.

In January of this year, the left-back had already been acquitted of six charges and, with the latest verdicts, has no more charges in his name. According to Mendy’s lawyer, efforts will turn to rebuilding his career, as he lost his contract with the old club and was inactive in the sport.

On Twitter, Vinícius cited the years “lost” by the player and said that, in addition to the damage to his football, he will also have to deal with psychological issues. “Your life will certainly never be the same again. The culture of destroying reputations has claimed yet another victim”, wrote the Brazilian. “How long will we be accused and convicted without the right to basic defense?”

Alongside this, he criticized sensationalism and the proliferation of unchecked information: “Fake news is created and spread without verifying any facts (something I personally felt a lot on this vacation), and then the situation only gets worse. Being responsible would be the minimum for any professional, but nowadays serious work has become an exception. There are no limits to getting more clicks and engagement.”

“My question is: what will be done to repair the damage?” concluded Vinícius, who received support from most of his followers in his response, although some criticized him. In Brazil, users republished the post against the attitude.

Mendy was revealed by Le Havre, from France, where he quickly gained prominence and was signed by Olympique de Marseille in 2013 to later arrive at Monaco, in 2016. A year later, he was signed by Manchester City for almost 60 million euros, in a of the most expensive negotiations in football history. He still appeared in ten matches for the French national team.