World Cup Cinderella Story Takes Dark Turn: Team Captain Facing Rape Allegations
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hey there, folks. It is Monday, June 29th. And if you have been watching the World Cup at all, you know who the Cinderella story is. Little Billy, Little Billy. Little bitty Cape Verde. Yes, the little Cinderella, tiny country that's made it to the knockout stage. Well, now that story has just taken a dark turn. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes taking a dark turn because one of their stars, the team captain, is being accused of something pretty heinous.
Yes, and this is pretty specific. And when you start to read the details, this is deeply concerning. We are talking about 36-year-old Ryan Mendez.
What breaking allegations involve Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendez?
He is, yes, the team captain of Cape Verde. He played in all three games for the Blue Sharks. He, I think, played in, I think, everything but 19 minutes of those games. Yes, he is accused of raping, of sexually assaulting a Brazilian woman who was working for the Cape Verde team as a translator back in March. And she has some very difficult to read accusations against the star player.
She has accusations. She has receipts. She has pictures. She has robed a story that is one we are all too familiar with in this country when it comes to covering accusations of sexual assault. She has been trying for months to get somewhere, according to her reporting, according to the reporting and what she has told news outlets. Well, she's been trying to get attention for a long time. Yes.
This happened back in March, according to her. And she claimed she took it to three different team officials there with the Cape Verde team and got nothing in response. So pretty shortly thereafter, she took it straight to police. But immediately afterwards, she took photos there. She went to the hospital. She had a rape kit done. She did everything that a sexual assault victim is supposed to do. She, yes, reported the attack to authorities after reporting it to the team officials and underwent the sexual assault examination.
She did everything she was supposed to do. Everything that you would tell and advise someone to do. She went to authorities, Robes. She didn't get anything from the team, so she went to police. She took pictures. She documented. She did the rape kit. She did everything she was supposed to do. And while all of that was happening, Robes, we were staring at a TV and cheering.
Yes.
We have all been watching this team do something really, really special. I know we talk about it so often in March Madness. You know what that means, a Cinderella. That is what they are. The little tiny team from the tiny country island nation that's never been in the World Cup before, Robes. They make it to the knockout stage. Not only do they make it to the knockout stage. They go up against heavyweights.
Spain, Uruguay.
And, okay, they tied. They have not won a game. They have tied every single game they've played in the first three. That's good enough point-wise to get them through. So they had to depend on, like, some luck that in games they had nothing to do with. They needed things to have everything lined up perfectly for them. And now, Rose, they have a big game on Friday against the number one team in the world and the best player.
Argentina!
So what you're doing, Robes, we've set up like, wow, could they actually beat Messi? We're thinking that. And then, boom, we get hit with this story.
What evidence does the alleged victim claim to have and when did she report it?
He is an innocent man until proven guilty, Robes. He just is. And that's how it goes. But the description, Robes, what's being alleged here goes beyond a he said, she said.
Exactly. And we should point out that New Zealand authorities are criminally investigating the allegations right now as we are recording this. But she reported this not only to police, but also spoke to a Brazilian news outlet who says they have seen the photos and they have seen the medical examination. And they say that exam found lesions on her vagina, as well as multiple bruises on her breasts, on her neck and her lips. And she has those photos that she has provided to the aforementioned agencies.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:53
2
What breaking allegations involve Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendez?
0:53–3:37
3
What evidence does the alleged victim claim to have and when did she report it?
3:37–6:51
4
How did the alleged assault get handled by team officials and police?
6:51–13:50
5
What details do medical exam and photos reportedly show about the attack?
13:50–17:46
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
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