Lawsuit filed by a Nevada woman who claims Cristiano Ronaldo raped her nine years ago and paid her $375,000 in hush money has set in motion a two-track legal process in Las Vegas

  • The Nevada woman who has sued European soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo for alleged rape has also succeeded in having criminal investigation reopened
  • Former model and school teacher Kathryn Mayorga claims Ronaldo raped her in his Las Vegas hotel room in the early morning hours of June 13, 2009
  • Ronaldo claims they had consensual sex and went back to Rain nightclub
  • Mayorga alleges she reached a $375,000 settlement with Ronaldo back in 2010 which included a non-disclosure agreement she was coered into signing
  • Ronaldo has not denied an agreement, but says he was pressured to enter into it by Real Madrid, the soccer team he had joined around the time of the incident 
  • Mayorga sued Ronaldo over the assault claim in federal court in September
  • Las Vegas police have also reopened the criminal investigation at her request
  • Once complete police will recommended to prosecutors whether to file charges 

Sexual assault allegations against European soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo from nearly ten years ago have led to both a civil lawsuit in Nevada federal court and possible state criminal proceedings.

A lawsuit has been filed against Ronaldo by Kathryn Mayorga, who has also initiated the reopening of a police investigation in her claim that he attacked and raped her in the bedroom of his penthouse at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.

Ronaldo's lawyers claim he and the former model and school teacher had consensual sex in his hotel room and then returned to the night club where they had met. 

At the conclusion of the criminal investigation, police will decide whether to recommend that prosecutors file criminal charges against the 33-year-old athlete from Portugal who plays for both his national team and the Italian club Juventus.

The civil lawsuit, which was filed on September 27 in Clark County District Court, will proceed to a jury trial in civil court only if a Nevada state judge sides with attorneys for plaintiff Kathryn Mayorga on key procedural and statutory questions. 

Mayorga allegedly received a $375,000 payment from Ronaldo as part of a settlement in 2010, but both parties are now saying they were pressured into entering into that agreement against their will.

Ronaldo's attorneys have not yet responded with their own filing to the civil lawsuit.

Sexual assault allegations against European soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo brought by US model and school teacher Kathryn Mayorga from the early morning hours of June 13, 2009 in Las Vegas have led to both a civil lawsuit in federal court and possible state criminal proceedings; The two are pictured here at Rain nightclub in Las Vegas on June 12, 2009

Sexual assault allegations against European soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo brought by US model and school teacher Kathryn Mayorga from the early morning hours of June 13, 2009 in Las Vegas have led to both a civil lawsuit in federal court and possible state criminal proceedings; The two are pictured here at Rain nightclub in Las Vegas on June 12, 2009

Mayorga claims she met Ronaldo at Rain, a nightclub in Las Vegas which has since closed, after which she was invited back to his penthouse suite where he sexually assaulted her in the early morning hours of June 13, 2009.

Ronaldo has continuously refuted the allegations, despite a $375,000 payment to Mayorga in 2010.

According to Portuguese paper Correio da Manha, Ronaldo claims he and Mayorga had consensual sex after which 'they returned to Rain nightclub and spent several hours together.'

According to Portuguese paper Correio da Manha, Ronaldo claims he and Mayorga had consensual sex after which 'they returned to Rain nightclub and spent several hours together;' Ronaldo is pictured here in a photo shared to social media on Tuesday, captioned only with a smiley face wearing sunglasses emoji

According to Portuguese paper Correio da Manha, Ronaldo claims he and Mayorga had consensual sex after which 'they returned to Rain nightclub and spent several hours together;' Ronaldo is pictured here in a photo shared to social media on Tuesday, captioned only with a smiley face wearing sunglasses emoji

Mayorga said she reached a $375,000 settlement with Ronaldo in 2010 before the original police investigation was dropped; The two are seen here at Rain nightclub in June of 2009

He now wants CCTV footage from Rain, which closed in 2012, to show that they went to the club together.

In a statement, Ronaldo's US attorney Peter S Christiansen said that the footballer's motivations for paying Mayorga had been 'twisted to say the least.'

'To absolve any doubt, Mr Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in 2009 in Las Vegas was consensual in nature.

'While Mr Ronaldo does not deny the existence of the mutual agreement and release, his motivations for agreeing to that resolution have been twisted to say the least.' 

'Far from any admission of guilt or any ulterior motive, Mr Ronaldo was advised to privately resolve the allegations against him in order to avoid the inevitable attempts that are now being made to destroy a reputation that has been built upon hard work, athleticism and honour.'

Mayorga alleges she reached a $375,000 settlement with Ronaldo in 2010 in exchange for her silence, before the original police investigation was dropped.  

Mayorga's attorneys say she underwent a medical exam to collect DNA evidence soon after the alleged attack in June 2009.

But the investigation was ended because Las Vegas police said she only identified her attacker as a European soccer player - not by name - and did not say where the incident took place.

The case was reopened in recent weeks at Mayorga's request. Her lawyers say she provided Ronaldo's name to detectives who interviewed her in 2009 and identified the location as the Palms Hotel and Casino.

Police will turn over the results of the investigation to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson to decide whether to file criminal charges.

A jury of 12 people would have to reach a unanimous verdict of guilt for a conviction on a felony sexual assault charge that could bring a sentence ranging from 10 years to life in state prison, depending on whether the jury decides if Mayorga suffered substantial bodily injury.

Police have refused to release documents about the case. Officer Aden OcampoGomez, a police department spokesman, said Tuesday he could not comment about an ongoing investigation.

As for Mayorga's lawsuit, before it could go to trial, Judge Adriana Escobar would have to decide if too much time has passed since the alleged attack; whether Ronaldo or Mayorga violated a 2010 non-disclosure agreement that requires Mayorga to keep quiet about an encounter that Ronaldo's lawyers say was consensual; and whether documents cited in European news stories about the case are authentic.

Mayorga's attorneys want to void the non-disclosure agreement.

The lawsuit claims Ronaldo used 'fixers' to pressure Mayorga to sign. It also accuses Ronaldo or people working for him of conspiracy, coercion and fraud, defamation, battery, breach of contract and negligence for allowing details of the confidential settlement to become public in European publications. 

Last week, Portuguese media reported that Ronaldo claims it was his former club Real Madrid that pressured him into signing a hush-money deal with Mayorga, in order to ensure that the case never got to court to protect its own image.   

The lawsuit filed by Mayorga (right)  claims Ronaldo used 'fixers' to pressure her to sign a settlement in 2010 and that Ronaldo or people working for him of conspiracy, coercion and fraud, defamation, battery, breach of contract and negligence for allowing details of the confidential settlement to become public in European publications; Mayorga is pictured in 2014 working as a brand ambassador for Levendi at the Las Vegas Food and Wine Festival

The lawsuit filed by Mayorga (right) claims Ronaldo used 'fixers' to pressure her to sign a settlement in 2010 and that Ronaldo or people working for him of conspiracy, coercion and fraud, defamation, battery, breach of contract and negligence for allowing details of the confidential settlement to become public in European publications; Mayorga is pictured in 2014 working as a brand ambassador for Levendi at the Las Vegas Food and Wine Festival

Portuguese media reported that Ronaldo claims it was his former club Real Madrid that pressured him into signing a hush-money deal with Mayorga, in order to ensure that the case never got to court to protect its own image; Ronaldo is pictured playing for Real Madrid in 2012

Portuguese media reported that Ronaldo claims it was his former club Real Madrid that pressured him into signing a hush-money deal with Mayorga, in order to ensure that the case never got to court to protect its own image; Ronaldo is pictured playing for Real Madrid in 2012

Tabloid Correio da Manha, citing sources 'close to the case', said: 'One of the main arguments the star is going to use will be that he was pressured into signing the agreement to pay the American woman.

'The footballer had just signed a lucrative contract with Real Madrid and the club was concerned about its image.

'Their concern was heightened when, during his holidays in the US, Ronaldo was the center of attention and was even photographed on a night out with Paris Hilton.

'The investment made by Real Madrid was high and although they never doubted the quality of the player, the club was apprehensive about the consequences of his off-pitch behaviour.'

The paper insisted Ronaldo was opposed to the idea of signing any hush-money deal before Real Madrid got involved. 

Real Madrid has not yet responded to the claims.  

Mayorga's attorney has argued she was not emotionally or legally competent to enter the non-disclosure agreement nine years ago

Mayorga's attorney has argued she was not emotionally or legally competent to enter the non-disclosure agreement nine years ago

'We believe that we have the factual basis to ask the court to set aside the agreement so that we can litigate her original damages,' Mayorga's attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, said on October 3 during a news conference in Las Vegas about his client's lawsuit against Ronaldo

'We believe that we have the factual basis to ask the court to set aside the agreement so that we can litigate her original damages,' Mayorga's attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, said on October 3 during a news conference in Las Vegas about his client's lawsuit against Ronaldo

Leslie Mark Stovall, a lawyer for Mayorga, has acknowledged that plaintiffs in personal injury cases in Nevada usually have two years to file a civil lawsuit.

However, he says a psychiatrist diagnosed Mayorga this year with post-traumatic stress and depression 'caused by Cristiano Ronaldo's sexual assault in 2009.' 

As a result, the attorney says, Mayorga was not emotionally or legally competent to enter the non-disclosure agreement nine years ago.

'We believe that we have the factual basis to ask the court to set aside the agreement so that we can litigate her original damages,' the attorney said.

If the lawsuit gets to trial, a jury of as many as eight people would be asked to reach a majority decision based on a preponderance of the evidence standard, which is a less-stringent standard than a criminal case.

If jurors find in favor of Mayorga, they would be asked to consider possible monetary damages. Mayorga is seeking an unspecified amount greater than $200,000.

In the criminal case, veteran prosecutors, defense attorneys and law professor Eve Hanan at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, agreed that the state could bring criminal charges despite the passage of time because Mayorga filed a police report.

'There is no statute of limitations if there is a valid police report,' attorney Tom Pitaro said.

Ronaldo has described Mayorga's accusations as 'fake news' and described rape as an 'abominable crime'.

Ronaldo has been ruled out of Portugal's games in November, against Poland and Italy.

His next club game for Juventus is on October 20, at home against Genoa.

Ronaldo has described Mayorga's accusations as 'fake news' and described rape as an 'abominable crime;' Ronaldo is pictured here warming up prior to a soccer match against Udinese, in Udine, Italy on October 6

Ronaldo has described Mayorga's accusations as 'fake news' and described rape as an 'abominable crime;' Ronaldo is pictured here warming up prior to a soccer match against Udinese, in Udine, Italy on October 6

FULL STATEMENT FROM LAWYER FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO

Below is the full statement released by Ronaldo's legal representative in the US, Nevada attorney Peter S. Christiansen: 

'I have been hired to represent Cristiano Ronaldo with respect to the recent civil complaint arising from events alleged to have occurred in 2009, all of which were the subject of a mutual release between the parties in 2010.

'Given the breach of that agreement by the other side and the inflammatory accusations that have been lodged in the ensuing days as a result, Mr Ronaldo feels compelled to no longer stand silent and in fact, is entitled under the agreement to respond proportionately in kind.

'To be clear, Cristiano Ronaldo vehemently denies all the accusations in this civil action, in consistency with what he has done in the last nine years.

'The documents that allegedly contain statements by Mr. Ronaldo and were reproduced in the media are pure inventions. By 2015, dozens of entities (including law firms) in different parts of Europe were attacked and their electronic data stolen by a cybercriminal.

'This hacker tried to sell such information, and a media outlet irresponsibly ended up publishing some of the stolen documents, significant parts of which were altered and / or completely fabricated. 

'Once again, for the avoidance of doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo's position has always been, and continues to be, that what happened in 2009 in Las Vegas was completely consensual.

'Cristiano Ronaldo does not deny that he agreed to enter into an agreement, but the reasons that led him to do so are at least to be distorted. 

'This agreement is by no means a confession of guilt. What happened was simply that Cristiano Ronaldo merely followed the advice of his advisors in order to put an end to the outrageous accusations made against him, in order precisely to avoid attempts, such as those we are now witnessing, to destroy a reputation built thanks to hard work, athletic ability and behavioral correction. 

'Unfortunately, it is now involved in the type of litigation that is very common in the United States.

'While Cristiano Ronaldo is accustomed to being the subject of media attention that goes along with being famous, it is absolutely deplorable that any media outlet would support or advance such an elaborate and deliberate defamation campaign based on stolen, easily manipulated digital documents.

'Mr Ronaldo will leave future discussions of any and all legal matters to his attorneys here and in Europe. 

'He is confident that the truth will survive this frenzy and the laws of Nevada will be upheld and enforced.'

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