The Lawsuit Against Cristiano Ronaldo – Background of the Allegations
Kathryn Mayorga is attempting to resurrect her 2018 civil case against soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo in a protracted legal battle. She alleges that Ronaldo sexually assaulted her during an event at his Palms Casino penthouse in 2009. After the lawsuit—which was first filed in 2018—was rejected by a federal judge in Nevada last year, Mayorga has now turned to a US appeals court in an attempt to revive her legal case.
Ronaldo has been the subject of Mayorga’s allegations for years. The Las Vegas woman claims that in 2009, while she was at Ronaldo’s penthouse at the Palms Casino, he sexually abused her. Ronaldo has always insisted that the meeting was consensual and fiercely refutes the accusations.
Legal Twists and Turns
When Las Vegas police explored prosecuting Ronaldo in 2019, the legal process took a different turn. Ultimately, the lawsuit was dismissed, according to Clark County Attorney General Steve Wolfson, who did so because the allegations could not be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In 2022, the initial lawsuit suffered a major blow when US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey rejected it. Leslie Stoval, Mayorga’s attorney, argued before the judge that the public record should not have included confidential communications between Ronaldo and his attorney.
Leaked documents from the “Football Leaks” website, which were published by the German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018, are a crucial component of the case. According to these records, a person who resembles Ronaldo admitted that the encounter was consensual. Ronaldo’s legal team disputes the legitimacy of the data, claiming that they were taken and altered by hackers.
The premise that Mayorga’s attorney used the Football Leaks information in “bad faith” led Judge Dorsey to dismiss the case. She underlined that communications between lawyers and clients ought to be kept private.
Mayorga’s Legal Arguments and Appeal
Mayorga argues that the trial court erred in rejecting her petition to unseal a 2009 non-disclosure agreement and use it as evidence as the case advances to the appeals stage. The appeal highlights the importance of the documents in her quest for justice while contesting the veracity of the authenticity concerns surrounding them.
Mayorga claims she was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement in 2010 after reporting the incident in 2009. Ronaldo’s legal team claims that the $375,000 payout was not an admission of guilt under the deal. Her appeal seeks to clarify the conditions surrounding the contract by claiming compulsion when she was “mentally incapacitated.”
As the #MeToo movement spread throughout the world, Mayorga’s court case gathered traction, elevating her profile and bringing attention to problems with coercion and sexual assault. The appeal highlights the larger discussions in society about justice, confidentiality, and consent.
The case’s legal nuances and moral dilemmas are front and center as a three-judge appeal panel prepares to hear oral arguments from both sides in a special sitting in Las Vegas. Crucial issues in this intricate legal drama will include the veracity of documents that have leaked, the right to privacy in discussions between an attorney and a client, and the careful balancing act between pursuing justice and protecting private legal correspondence.