XtraTime Web Desk: A huge sigh of relief for Cristiano Ronaldo and his fans across the globe, as he will not face charges for the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Las Vegas 10 years ago, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed.
The decision was announced in a statement released via the office’s Twitter account.
It said: “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. Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming.”
Kathryn Mayorga reportedly accused Ronaldo of raping her in a hotel in the city, with German publication Der Spiegel reporting the claims last October.
According to Der Spiegel, Mayorga first made a complaint of sexual assault in 2009 and subsequently reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo. It was claimed by the magazine she was paid $375,000 as part of a privacy agreement, preventing her from going public with the allegations.
Ronaldo’s legal team described Der Spiegel’s 2018 report as “blatantly illegal” and confirmed they will pursue action against the publication for “inadmissible reporting of suspicions in the area of privacy”.
The player issued a strong denial of the allegations last October, saying: “I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.
“My clear conscious [sic] will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.”
– #MeToo movement –
Mayorga’s attorney has stated that she agreed to an out-of-court settlement to keep her name from going public, but was later inspired to speak out by the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Mayorga has also said that her emotional trauma at the time did not allow her to participate in the mediation process for the financial settlement.
The player has yet to respond on social media.
In October last year, Ronaldo said he was “an exemplary person.” “I know who I am and what I did. The truth will come out,” he told France Football magazine.
“And the people who criticize me and who expose my life today, who make a song and dance about it, these people will see.” The allegations have taken a toll on his life, and in particular on his family, he said.
In January, a Spanish court handed Ronaldo a suspended two-year prison sentence for committing tax fraud while he was at Real Madrid.
This was immediately reduced to a fine of 365,000 euros ($410,000), on top of another penalty of 3.2 million euros ($3.6 million).
Ronaldo, who is based in Turin, is currently on Juventus’ pre-season tour of Asia.