Neymar Santos Sr., the father and agent of Brazil star Neymar, has defended his son's move to reveal intimate details of his relations with a woman who claims the striker raped her.
"Imagine allowing an accusation like that, seeing how your son is called a rapist", Neymar Santos Sr. said in a TV interview, as quoted by The Sun.
"That's why Neymar decided to expose himself like that. We protected the woman's face and her name, we did what we could, but it was a defence".
It emerged last week that an unidentified Brazilian woman had come forward with rape allegations against Neymar, filing a complaint with police in Sao Paulo.
She claimed that Neymar, who is playing for French champions Paris Saint-Germain, invited her to Paris in mid-May; he was alleged to have come to the hotel where she stayed "apparently intoxicated" and "used violence" to have sex with her without her consent.
His father has described this as "attempted extortion" and a "set-up", saying that the date took place, but that the woman tried to blackmail the star striker and his family after he didn't want to see her again.
Neymar himself took to social media on Sunday to vehemently deny the accusations in a seven-minute video. "Anyone who knows me, knows of my behaviour, knows that I would never do something like that", the unmarried 27-year-old PSG star said.
He went on to share what looked like a private exchange on WhatsApp with the alleged rape accuser. The woman appeared to have sent him sexually suggestive photos of herself, including nude ones, as well as sexted him after they had intercourse.
The videos were later deleted by Facebook and Instagram for violating their rules, Neymar Santos Sr. said.
Meanwhile, Neymar is reportedly facing a police probe in Brazil for publishing the woman's intimate images without consent.
"He didn't have a choice. He preferred to commit an internet crime than be accused of rape", his father said.
