Brazilian cops drop probe into Man United star Antony over allegation he ‘assaulted ex’
BRAZILIAN cops have reportedly dropped their domestic violence probe against Manchester United winger Antony.
The Brazil forward, 24, was accused of abuse by his former partner Gabriela Cavallin last year.
Sao Paulo cops said the Red Devil’s forward was being investigated for insult, threats, assault and domestic psychological violence.
Two other women also came forward and accused Antony of assault, although one dropped her allegations.
Antony firmly denied all allegations against him and was given time off last season to fight them.
Police in his home country of Brazil found no evidence of any wrongdoing by Antony after a year-long investigation, report Globo.com.
The Public Security Secretariat confirmed the conclusion to local Brazilian media saying: “The case was processed under confidentiality.
“More information should be requested from the courts.”
He is believed to remain under investigation in England but has not been charged.
The £85million star was grilled by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) for five hours over the allegations after he volunteered to meet cops for questioning.
It was reported last year that Gabriela told police that the footballer assaulted her four times.
She claimed that she was first attacked by the winger in June last year, while pregnant and on holiday in Brazil.
The DJ alleged that Antony then headbutted and punched her, damaging a breast implant, at a hotel in Manchester on January 15 – the day after United’s 2-1 victory over City.
And Gabriela claimed the Brazilian forward threw a glass at her in May, injuring her finger.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday after she made the claims Gabriela said she was “absolutely destroyed” and “disappointed” that the winger was allowed to return to football.
Antony came back to Old Trafford after a few weeks off after the allegations came to light as he fought them both in Brazil and the UK.
When in Brazil, Antony appeared on TV to respond to the claims as he spoke out against domestic violence and insisted he would never harm a woman.
Speaking after the Premier League season ended earlier this year, Antony spoke on how the allegations affected his football.
He said: “I was obviously not satisfied with my season, but a lot happened over the year in my personal life.
“Like it or not everything I went through had an effect on the pitch.
“Definitely, everything I went through was very difficult for me and all my family.
“I’ve learnt from it all, I’ve grown and matured. I believe I learnt a lot from the adversity.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.