ZCZC
BSP-11
FBL-US-CRIME-RONALDO
DNA request made in Cristiano Ronaldo rape case
LOS ANGELES, Jan 11, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Las Vegas police have asked
football star Cristiano Ronaldo to submit a DNA sample as part of their
investigation into rape allegations made against him.
The five-time world player of the year — who plays for Italian league
champions Juventus — has vehemently denied the accusations, and his lawyer
Peter Christiansen said the request was standard procedure.
“Mr Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred
in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so it is not surprising that
DNA would be present, nor that the police would make this very standard
request as part of their investigation,” he said in a statement.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said it had made an
official request to Italian authorities, adding it is “taking the same steps
in this case as in any other sexual assault to facilitate the collection of
DNA evidence”.
Former model Kathryn Mayorga, 34, of Las Vegas, made the accusations
against the now 33-year-old Ronaldo in a complaint filed last year in the
state of Nevada.
She claims after meeting the footballer at a Las Vegas nightclub, he
raped her at his hotel suite on June 13, 2009 — just before he joined Real
Madrid from Manchester United for a then-world record 94 million euros ($108
million).
Mayorga’s lawyers have said previously she immediately reported the
alleged rape to the Las Vegas police and underwent a medical examination.
A private mediation was organised with representatives of Ronaldo,
Mayorga and their lawyers, where she alleges she was paid $375,000 to keep
quiet.
Ronaldo’s lawyers have said that the non-disclosure agreement signed
with the former model was “by no means a confession of guilt”.
Mayorga’s attorney has said the model agreed to an out-of-court
settlement to keep her name from going public, but was inspired to speak out
by the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Her attorney could not immediately be reached for comment, but in the
past said the agreement should be made null and void because it was made when
she was suffering from extreme psychological duress.
Ronaldo is widely considered one of the greatest footballers in the
history of the game, having won the Champions League title five times — once
with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid.
He also led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title in France.
Juventus signed him last year from Real for 100 million euros ($115
million), the most ever paid for a player aged over 30.
Ronaldo has long been marketed as a global face of football and his
image has become a market mover. When the rape allegations first came to
light, shares in Juventus dipped on the stock exchange.
Forbes magazine says he is one of just three athletes to be given a
lifelong contract by US sportswear manufacturer Nike along with NBA superstar
LeBron James and retired basketball legend Michael Jordan.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1820HRS