Published: October 4, 2023, 06:54h.
Last updated: October 4, 2023, 06:56h.
A Las Vegas woman seeks to reopen her case against soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, alleging that he raped her at his Palms Casino Penthouse in 2009.
Kathryn Mayorga is appealing the dismissal of her civil lawsuit against Ronaldo, which was initially filed in 2018 and dismissed by a federal judge in Nevada last year.
The case will be heard by a three-judge appellate panel at a special sitting in Las Vegas, where both parties will present their oral arguments.
Police Investigation Dropped
Ronaldo has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that the sexual encounter was consensual. In 2019, the Las Vegas police considered charging him and even applied for an arrest warrant. However, the case was ultimately dropped due to insufficient evidence.
US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dismissed the lawsuit after ruling that Mayorga’s attorney had improperly used privileged conversations between Ronaldo and his lawyer as evidence.
The leaked documents were published by the “Football Leaks” website and initially reported on by German news magazine “Der Spiegel” in October 2018.
These documents contain an alleged admission from someone purported to be Ronaldo, suggesting non-consensual sex. Ronaldo’s legal team has argued that the files were stolen and forged by hackers.
Claims of “Bad Faith”
In dismissing the case in 2022, Judge Dorsey accused Mayorga’s lawyer, Leslie Stoval, of acting in “bad faith” by relying on the Football Leaks documents, which violated attorney-client privilege and proper legal processes.
According to court records, Mayorga contacted the LVMPD on June 13, 2009, to report a sexual assault.
A medical examination revealed injuries consistent with anal rape, including circumferential rectal swelling, bruising, and a laceration.
She chose not to reveal the perpetrator’s name out of fear of public humiliation and retaliation.
Coercion Allegation
In 2010, Mayorga signed a non-disclosure agreement, accepting a $375,000 settlement and dropping all claims against Ronaldo. However, the star’s legal team asserts that this was not an admission of guilt.
Mayorga now claims that she was coerced into signing the agreement by Ronaldo’s team when she was in a vulnerable state of mind.
Following the publication of the Football Leaks documents and the rise of the #MeToo movement, Mayorga decided to sue Ronaldo, alleging battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, coercion, fraud, and abuse of a vulnerable person.
In her appeal, Mayorga argues that the lower court erred in rejecting her request to unseal the 2009 non-disclosure agreement and use it as evidence.
However, the authenticity of the Football Leaks documents cannot be proven, preventing their acceptance as evidence.