POLICE in America have reportedly reopened an investigation into accusations of sexual assault against football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Former model Kathryn Mayorga, 34, took legal action in 2010 over an alleged assault by Ronaldo at the Palms Casino Resort suite in Las Vegas one year earlier.
Court documents surrounding Mayorga’s suit claim Ronaldo sexually assaulted her as she repeatedly screamed “no” during a bathroom incident on June 13, 2009.
The 33-year-old Juventus star has already denied the claims against him.
Las Vegas Police have now announced they have reopened an investigation surrounding an alleged sexual assault on June 13, 2009.
Reports from around the world claim to have confirmed that the reopened investigation centers around the claims against Ronaldo.
“The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a call of sexual assault on June 13, 2009,” a police statement read.
“At the time the report was taken, the victim did not provide detectives with the location of the incident or suspect description. A medical exam was conducted.
“As of September 2018, the case has been reopened and our detectives are following up on information being provided by the victim. This is an on-going investigation and no further details will be released at this time.”
Sexual assault does not fall under the US statute of limitations in Nevada — which means it can be investigated despite occurring nine years ago.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirms that it has re-opened the rape investigation into Cristiano Ronaldo. They say: “As of September 2018, the case has been reopened and our detectives are following up on information being provided by the victim.”— James Beal (@JamesSBeal) October 1, 2018
The dramatic development comes after it was reported over the weekend that Mayorga is now trying to overturn a nondisclosure agreement surrounding a civil settlement she agreed to with Ronaldo.
According to reports, that settlement was worth paid $518,000 (£287,000) to stop her pursuing criminal action against, The Sun reports.
Ronaldo has said the sex was consensual and has called the claims “fake news”.
It also follows revelations Ronaldo’s legal team showed open relief when the settlement was signed.
Court documents filed by her lawyers claim to reveal a statement from the footballer’s representatives which purports to show they were relieved to have reached the settlement.
The papers say Ron’s team wrote: “At the end of the day, given the type of claims which MK [the plaintiff] has asserted in this case, in our opinion we have obtained an incredibly favourable settlement which will result not only in the release of any and all civil claims and in MK choosing not to pursue a criminal case which could have resulted in Topher [Cristiano Ronaldo] being imprisoned for a life sentence for sexual assault.”
The alleged statement by Ronaldo’s team has not been substantiated and there is no suggestion his lawyers believed there was a strong criminal case to answer.
The court documents detail the alleged attack, stating: “Cristiano Ronaldo pulled the plaintiff into a bedroom and on to a bed and attempted to engage in sexual intercourse.”
It said the plaintiff refused, tried to cover herself and was screaming: “No, no, no”.
It adds: “When Cristiano Ronaldo completed the sexual assault, he allowed her to leave the bedroom stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman.”
At the time of the alleged attack, Ronaldo, then 24, was in Las Vegas on holiday with his brother-in-law and cousin.
Budding model Ms Mayorga, then 25, was working in Rain nightclub, inside the Palms Casino Resort and met the star in the venue’s VIP area.
Paparazzi pictures showed the pair chatting, before he invited her and a friend to his penthouse suite — room 57306 at the Palms — “to enjoy the view of the Las Vegas Strip”.
Mayorga claims she refused to get into the hot tub because she did not want to ruin her dress.
She said Ronaldo offered her some clothes to wear and told her to change in a bathroom.
The court papers claim that while she was changing, Ronaldo walked in, exposed himself, and asked her to perform a sex act.
In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Ms Mayorga said: “This guy that is so famous and so hot ... he’s a frickin’ loser and a creep.”
She said she refused to engage in the sex act, but kissed him after he promised he would let her go.
She recalled: “He starts to come on to me very strong.
“And he starts to do stuff to me and touch me and grab me. I pushed him away and kept saying, ‘No’.”
She stated that, a short time later, Ronaldo pulled her into a bedroom and raped her while she cried: “No, no, no”.
Ms Mayorga went to the Las Vegas Police Department later that day and was examined in hospital.
Evidence of the alleged rape was documented and photographed.
She later hired a lawyer and in 2010 negotiated a £287,000 out-of-court settlement.
Mr Stovall told Der Spiegel: “The purpose of this lawsuit is to hold Cristiano Ronaldo responsible within a civil court of law for the injuries he has caused Kathryn Mayorga and the consequences of those injuries.”
Ms Mayorga, who has just quit her job as a teacher, has gone into hiding.