A judge in the US has dismissed the Las Vegas rape allegations made against footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. The Nevada woman alleged Ronaldo raped her in a hotel room in 2009 - a claim that the Manchester United player has denied previously saying in a statement I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in.
She has now lost her US court bid to force him to pay her millions of dollars more than the 375000 dollars £302000 in hush money she originally received Ronaldo has always denied the claims. Image Alam Ronaldo has always denied the claims. Image Alamy The Las Vegas judge kicked the case out of court on Friday 10 June to punish the womans lawyer over bad-faith conduct and the use of stolen confidential documents. US district judge Jennifer Dorsey said the conduct of the womans lawyer Leslie Mark Stovall and his use of purloined confidential documents had tainted the case beyond redemption.
In her 42-page order Dorsey said dismissing a case outright with no option to file it again is a severe sanction but that Ronaldo had been harmed by Stovalls conduct. In her ruling she wrote I find that the procurement and continued use of these documents was bad faith and simply disqualifying Stovall will not cure the prejudice to Ronaldo because the misappropriated documents and their confidential contents have been woven into the very fabric of plaintiff Kathryn Mayorgas claims.
Harsh sanctions are merited.
The claims were made from an incident in 2009 the same summer Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid. Image Alamy Ronaldos legal team does not dispute that the two had sex but maintain that the encounter was consensual and a confidentiality agreement prevents both sides from talking about it. Last October Magistrate Judge Daniel Albregts blamed Stovall for basing the case on leaked and stolen documents which had been considered privileged communications between Ronaldo and his legal team.
In his recommendation to Dorsey Albregts wrote Dismissing Mayorgas case for the inappropriate conduct of her attorney is a harsh result. But it is unfortunately the only appropriate sanction to ensure the integrity of the judicial process. At the time Peter Christiansen Ronaldos attorney in Las Vegas said We are pleased with the Courts detailed review of this matter and its willingness to justly apply the law to the facts and recommend dismissal of the civil case against Mr Ronaldo.
In a 2019 interview with Piers Morgan Ronaldo opened up about the allegation saying he felt embarrassed. Ronaldo returned to England last summer. Image Alamy Ronaldo returned to England last summer. Image Alamy He said They play with your dignity. Its hard. You have a girlfriend you have a family you have kids. When they play with your honesty its bad its hard One day I was at home in the living room with my girlfriend and then the news they speak about Cristiano Ronaldo this and that. You listen to your kids coming down the stairs and you change the channel because I was embarrassed I feel embarrassed.
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