The rape case against Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo had been dropped by a US judge. The judge dismissed the rape allegation lawsuit against the former Real Madrid and Juventus Portuguese international.
According to the judge, it was said that the accuser’s lawyer relied on leaked and stolen records. Kathryn Mayorga alleges that the cristiano Ronaldo raped her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. The player however denied the allegations and has never been charged.
Cristiano Ronaldo Finally wins Rape Case Levelled Against Him Since 2009
She reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with the star in 2010 but has been seeking millions more than the $375,000 (£304,000) she received. Ms. Mayorga said that while she had agreed to the settlement shortly after the alleged incident, her emotional trauma at the time did not allow her to participate in the mediation process, and she felt pressured to accept the offer.
Before filing her complaint, Ms. Mayorga’s lawyer, Leslie Stovall, received “ill-gotten” information and documents which were confidential and privileged, US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey wrote. The judge said the lawyer harmed the 37-year-old footballer by conducting him in “bad faith” through repeated use of stolen, privileged documents to prosecute the case.
In a 42-page ruling released on Friday and quoted by AFP, Judge Dorsey accused Mr. Stovall of “abuses and flagrant circumvention of the proper litigation process” and said that as a result, “Mayorga loses her opportunity to pursue this case.”
In 2021, a magistrate judge recommended the case be dismissed due to Mr. Stovall’s conduct. In 2019, US prosecutors said Cristiano Ronaldo would not face charges over the accusations as they could not “be proven beyond reasonable doubt”.
The Clark County District Attorney’s office in Las Vegas said Ms. Mayorga reported the assault in 2009 but refused to state where it had happened or who the attacker was. As a result, police were unable “to conduct any meaningful investigation”. Ronaldo agreed both he and the accuser met in Las Vegas in 2009 but said that what happened between them was consensual.
