Brazilian judge closes Neymar rape case

A Brazilian judge dismissed the rape case against Paris-Saint Germain star Neymar on Friday following a recommendation from prosecutors.

Citing a lack of evidence, Judge Ana Paula Vieira de Moraes closed the case Thursday after police ended their own investigation on July 30.

"We decided in favor of the closing of the case because there is no sufficient evidence," Sao Paulo state prosecutor Flavia Merlini said during a news conference, as relayed by The Associated Press.

The case was initially opened after Brazilian model Najila Trindade approached Sao Paolo police and claimed that Neymar raped her in Paris, France, in May. Neymar denied the allegations, saying the relationship was consensual. The Brazilian international then posted private chats and intimate photos of their exchanges online in an attempt to prove his innocence.

"The police investigator asked her to plug her phone to a computer so she could see the video, but she (Trindade) didn't want to do that. She also refused to hand over her phone, and later she said it had been stolen," a second state prosecutor, Estefania Paulin, added at the news conference.

"The medical report of a private doctor introduced by the victim did not show an injury that proved she was raped," Paulin continued. "The slaps and the redness (on Trindade's skin) happened for the satisfaction of both parties."

Brazilian police continue to investigate whether Trindade falsely reported the incident. Neymar is also under investigation for a potential violation of Trindade's online privacy due to the private messages and photos he posted on social media.