Former West Ham United footballer Dimitri Payet is set to face trial in Brazil following serious allegations made by a former lover. The 38-year-old French midfielder stands accused of subjecting Larissa Natalya Ferrari to what she describes as 12 hours of 'psychological torture' during a seven-month affair.
Shocking Allegations of Degradation and Control
According to reports that first emerged in July and have since been expanded upon, Brazilian lawyer Larissa Ferrari, 29, has made a series of disturbing claims. She alleges that Payet, who was playing for Vasco de Gama in Rio de Janeiro while living apart from his wife and four children, forced her to perform degrading acts including drinking her own urine and licking the floor.
Ferrari states she first connected with the footballer via Instagram in August 2023. She claims their relationship, which she initially perceived as 'sweet', rapidly deteriorated into a 'macabre game'. She alleges Payet used his power and status to trap her in an abusive dynamic, employing 'punishments' to control her movements and describing her as 'worthless'.
The most severe incident is said to have occurred in January of last year, when Ferrari felt compelled to perform humiliating acts on camera. She has stated her actions were never motivated by financial gain, emphasising she even travelled to Rio by bus on one occasion.
Legal Proceedings and Firm Denials
Payet has been formally charged with 'psychological violence'. The case, understood to have been lodged in April, was initially dismissed by Brazilian prosecutors before an appeal led to Payet's indictment.
Payet and his legal team strongly deny all allegations. While acknowledging 'bizarre sexual acts', they insist any activity was entirely consensual. His defence lawyer, Sheila Lustoza, stated she respected the court's decision to proceed to trial but disagreed with it, noting the defence would now present its evidence.
Ferrari's lawyers welcomed the decision by Rio de Janeiro's Domestic Violence Court to accept the complaint. In a statement, they said it was 'an important step forward in the search for the truth and reparation for the damages suffered by the victim'.
A Career Under Scrutiny
These allegations cast a shadow over the career of a player once celebrated as one of West Ham's most talented this century. Payet left the London club under a cloud in 2017 to re-join Marseille, before moving to Brazilian football in 2023.
The trial will now proceed, with the football world watching closely as the serious claims made by Larissa Ferrari are tested in a Brazilian court against Payet's steadfast denials.
