Two Premier League footballers, both aged 19, have been arrested in connection with an alleged rape. They were released on bail after being interviewed by police.
The players belong to the same club, which has chosen not to comment on the accusations.
According to a police spokesperson, "Officers have arrested two men following a report of a rape. A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and aiding and abetting a rape. A second 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape. Both men have since been released on police bail."
The alleged incident was reported to have occurred on Friday, as reported by The Sun newspaper. It remains unclear whether the players have been suspended pending the outcome of the police investigation.
The Premier League implemented mandatory sexual consent training for players and staff in 2022 following several high-profile incidents involving top-flight footballers. In November, a Panorama investigation revealed that Premier League clubs had allowed two footballers to continue playing and retained a manager in their positions despite knowing they were under police investigation for sexual or domestic violence. Photo by Weloc, Wikimedia commons.