Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho appeared in a Seville court on Tuesday over an alleged sexual assault.
Carvalho, 31, denied the allegations and stated in court that both of his sexual encounters with the alleged victim were consensual, before releasing a statement to deny any wrongdoing.
The Portugal international appeared in Seville’s Investigative Court Number 9 after a criminal investigation was opened.
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After appearing in court, Carvalho released a statement on his social media page in which he denied the allegations.
“The accusations against me are completely false,” Carvalho posted on his Instagram account.
“I consider any kind of violence against women, particularly sexual violence, to be an appalling offence, completely contrary to who I am and what I believe in.
“I have a great deal of respect for women and I am actively involved in various causes that promote gender equality.
“I’m not going to feed the media spectacle put on by those who want to promote themselves at my expense.
“I have a clear conscience, I have co-operated with the relevant authorities and, fortunately, I have the ability to prove the absolute baselessness of these accusations.”
The magistrate did not impose any restrictions on Carvalho, including his freedom of travel, but the investigation will remain open.
Reports in Spain state that Carvalho was in court for 30 minutes, answering questions from the magistrate and his defence lawyer. Carvalho claims he twice had consensual sex with the alleged victim, the first time in Ibiza in July 2023 and the following month in Seville.
Spanish press reports claim that the alleged victim reported ‘clear signs of violence on her body’ after waking up, but was unable to remember exactly what happened. She alleges that she remembers Carvalho ‘tightly grabbing her by the neck and hand’ before forcing her to perform oral sex.
Betis said in a statement: “In relation to the judicial appearance of our player William Carvalho, after which no precautionary measure has been adopted, Real Betis wishes to show its utmost respect for the proceedings.
“The club has always expressed its absolute rejection of any type of violence and, at the same time, expresses and requests respect for the principle of presumption of innocence.”
(Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)