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Football: Cristiano Ronaldo Civil Rape Claim Dismissed!

By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw

A US Judge has dismissed a civil claim for rape brought against the 37-year-old Manchester United forward and Portugal national team captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, because the claimant’s lawyer relied on leaked and stolen privileged records.

The claimant, Kathryn Mayorga, alleges that Ronaldo raped her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. But US District Judge, Jennifer Dorsey, accused her lawyer of “abuses and flagrant circumvention of the proper litigation process” as a result of which “Mayorga loses the opportunity to pursue this case.” 

He has always denied the allegations and has never been charged.

In fact, Ronaldo has never denied that he met the claimant in Las Vegas in 2009 but has always stated that what passed between them was consensual.

In 2019, US Prosecutors decided not to proceed with any charges against him, because they could not be “proven beyond reasonable doubt.”  

In 2010, Mayorga reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo of reportedly US$375,000 but has since been seeking millions more as a result of the #MeToo movement. She claims that, due to her emotional trauma at the time, she felt pressured to accept the offer!

Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



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The editors of  the Journal Sports Law & Taxation are Professor Ian Blackshaw and Dr Rijkele Betten, with specialist contributions from the world's leading practitioners and academics in the sports law and taxation fields.

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Dr. Rijkele Betten

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Prof. Dr. Ian S. Blackshaw

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Maisto e Associati, Milano

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Hardwick & Morris LLP, London

 

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