About four years after allegations of rape in the United States, the case for soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is apparently finally off the table. A court in Las Vegas does not allow the million-dollar lawsuit. It held the plaintiff's lawyer responsible for that decision.
A federal court in Las Vegas has dismissed a rape lawsuit against Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. In her 42-page ruling, Judge Jennifer Dorsey blamed the unlawful conduct of Mayorga's attorney for the dismissal of the civil case. He repeatedly used "hacked, confidential documents". As a result of this "abuse and the blatant circumvention of a proper process", the plaintiff lost the opportunity to "pursue this case". Criminal proceedings were already discontinued in 2019 due to a lack of evidence.
The 37-year-old former Nevada model has accused Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. Because of the resulting psychological problems, her lawyers are demanding up to $200 million (173 million euros) in compensation. The footballer has always denied the allegations and insisted that the sex was consensual.
Mayorga had reported the alleged rape to the police immediately afterwards on June 13, 2009, but at the time did not give Ronaldo's name or a location. In 2010, the attorneys for both sides settled out of court, according to prosecutors. Ronaldo's lawyers said in the court documents that the football star and Mayorga entered into the agreement to "preserve confidentiality" and "avoid a public and costly litigation". As Ronaldo's lawyers later revealed, $375,000 was paid to the woman as part of the deal. The woman's lawyers had now demanded $25 million, arguing that the other side had broken confidentiality.
As early as last October, a US judge recommended that the civil lawsuit be discontinued. He justified his recommendation by stating that Mayorga's lawyer, Leslie Stovall, based the compensation claim on communications between Ronaldo and his legal team that had become public as part of the "Football Leaks" revelations. The exchange between defense lawyers and their clients is under special protection. Judge Dorsey now followed the reasoning of her colleague. The Las Vegas court's decision is open to appeal in a San Francisco Court of Appeals.
