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Portuguese soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of sexual assault 10 years ago but prosecutors say that because the athlete’s guilt could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, he will not be facing any rape charges in Las Vegas.
Ronaldo is generally thought of as one of the greatest players of all time and is currently a mainstay for Italian club Juventus (JUVE.MI). The athlete maintains that he is innocent.
In September 2018, Kathryn Mayorga filed a civil lawsuit in a Nevada state court alleging that Ronaldo had raped her in the penthouse suite of a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. He then allegedly paid her $375,000 in order to keep quiet. She is asking for more than $200,000 in damages.
According to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, records show that on June 13, 2009, a woman had called Las Vegas police saying that she was raped. Police then brought the woman to a hospital in order to be examined. However, the woman did not identify who her assailant was.
While the woman was unidentified, Mayorga’s civil lawsuit closely resembles the 2009 incident.
In 2010, Ronaldo and Mayorga reached a civil settlement. She was not heard from again until she suddenly requested police to reopen the investigation on August 28, 2018. This time, she pointed to Ronaldo as the one who sexually assaulted her.
On July 8, Las Vegas police made a request to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute the case.
But the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement: “Based upon a review of the information presented at this time, the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Both the attorneys of Mayorga and Ronaldo could not be reached for comment.
In January, Las Vegas police had formally requested a DNA sample from Ronaldo through Italian authorities. The police haven’t confirmed if they managed to get the DNA sample they requested.
Mayorga’s lawsuit has since been elevated to federal court.
Per the suit, Mayorga met Ronaldo at a Las Vegas nightclub. She then joined a group of people that went to the star’s penthouse suite for a view of the Las Vegas Strip.