Patrick Da Silva held in custody for investigation of sexual assault allegations in Mjøkadali

For the next four weeks, Danish-Brazilian footballer Patrick Da Silva, who plays for KÍ, will be held in custody in Mjøkadali while police investigate additional allegations of sexual assault against him.

According to reports from Frihedsbrevet.fo, Da Silva appeared for a preliminary hearing at the Faroese court at 10 a.m. He was interrogated for four hours behind closed doors before it was decided that he would be held in custody for four weeks.

Katrini Thorsvig Hansen, the prosecutor, informed Frihedsbrevet that Da Silva is charged with five offenses, including grooming. Grooming is when an individual seeks to establish a relationship with a minor under 18 for the purpose of committing sexual offences in the future.

Previously, Da Silva was convicted of sexual offenses in Denmark in March 2021. The then 26-year-old was sentenced to 20 days of conditional imprisonment for exposure against a 14-year-old girl.

This history led to considerable public debate when KÍ announced in December 2021, just months after Da Silva’s conviction, that they had signed a contract with the controversial Superliga player. KÍ had released a statement on their website stating, “Patrick last played with Lyngby in 2020 in the Danish Superliga but stopped the previous autumn due to particularly unfortunate circumstances that resulted in a conditional sentence.”

Mikkjal Thomassen, who was KÍ’s coach at the time, defended the decision to sign a contract with a player who had been convicted of sexual crimes against children. In a broadcast, Thomassen acknowledged that KÍ overlooked all aspects related to Da Silva to secure a talented player for their team.

Now, nearly three years later, Patrick Da Silva is in custody while the police investigate the allegations against him, including grooming and attempting to engage in sexual acts with a child under 15.