Danny Cipriani's wife issues statement after couple wrongly linked to arrest

The wife of Danny Cipriani has issued a public statement after the couple were wrongly caught up in controversy surrounding the arrest of an England rugby international and a woman on suspicion of sexual offences.

Victoria Cipriani, formerly Victoria Rose O'Callaghan, issued a lengthy public statement on her public social media profile and said members of the press had turned up at their home after wrongly linking the couple to the arrest reports.

Reports emerged on Tuesday evening saying an England rugby international has been arrested on suspicion of raping a teenager. The Daily Mail reported that the player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Sunday after an alleged attack at a nightclub on Saturday. A woman was also arrested on suspicion of administering a substance with intent to cause a sexual offence. Both the man and woman have been released on bail.

Daily Mail journalist Chris Foy, who works for one of the outlets which first reported the arrest story, said of Victoria Cipriani's statement: "This statement is correct - nothing to do with them at all".

Mrs Cipriani published the statement to her 600+ Twitter followers, which has since been widely shared.

The full statement said: "A load of journalists have turned up outside my home this morning, causing me great alarm and distress, apparently guessing (wrongly) that the story already in some parts of the press about a rugby player and his partner being arrested on suspicion of sexual offences might relate to Danny and myself.

"I presume they are making that wild guess because I am the same age as the woman is reported to be in the stories about that case.

"This is completely unwarranted and wholly unacceptable.

"Neither Danny nor myself have been arrested, nor do we have anything to do with the reported case, whatsoever. We do not know anything about it.

"The press have come to the wrong people and I would ask that they please leave us alone, immediately.

"This is hugely upsetting for so many reasons. Please share an[d] thanks for taking note of this."

A police spokesperson told the Mail and Times: "Officers were called shortly before 11am on Sunday January 9 to a report of a sexual assault on a female.

"A woman in her late teens was reported to have been sexually assaulted.

"A man was arrested on suspicion of rape and a woman was arrested on suspicion of administering a substance with intent to cause a sexual offence.

"Both have since been released on bail as enquiries continue and a number of lines of enquiry are being followed up by detectives."

Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.