Football Talk - Robinho cleared of assault charges - 07/04/09
Manchester City striker Robinho will not face charges following allegations of a serious sexual assault made in January, West Yorkshire Police has confirmed.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Following a report of a serious sexual assault that occurred at a nightclub in Leeds on 14th January, 2009, the matter was investigated and the man was arrested and released on police bail. A file was submitted to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) who decided that no further action should be taken."
Robinho's advisor, Chris Nathaniel of NVA Management, has issued a statement thanking City for their support. "I am pleased to announce that Robson de Souza (Robinho) has been cleared of all allegations of rape," he said. "He has maintained his innocence throughout the police interview process and I am delighted that all charges have been dropped.
"Robinho is a hard-working family man, who is extremely passionate about football. He now wishes to focus his attention on Manchester City to help create a successful end to the season. Robinho will be making an official statement at a later date, in the mean time he wants to pass on his sincere thanks to all his family, friends, fans and Manchester City colleagues who have supported him through this terrible ordeal."
City said on their official website: "The Crown Prosecution Service have reviewed the evidence gathered during the course of the investigation and have concluded that no further action will be taken in this case. Robinho, who had co-operated fully with the police throughout the enquiry, will face no charges - and the matter is now closed."
