Portugal's striker Cristiano Ronaldo will not be charged with sexual assault as the Clark County District Attorney's office dropped the charges on Monday saying allegations could not be proven beyond a reasonable point.
American Kathryn Mayorga had accused Ronaldo of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2009.
"The Clark County District Attorney's Office announced today that it will decline to prosecute a 10-year-old sexual assault allegation against Cristiano Ronaldo. On June 13, 2009, a female victim ("V") placed a call to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and reported that she had been the victim of sexual assault. Members of law enforcement responded to her location to take a crime report. Police transported V to the hospital so that a sexual assault examination could be conducted. A short time later, sexual assault detectives arrived at the hospital and made contact with V. Although she knew who the person was who assaulted her, V refused to identify him or disclose where the crime occurred," read an official statement of the County District office as quoted by Goal.com.
"As a result, the police were unable to follow investigative protocols for sexual assault cases or to conduct any mengful investigation. Without knowing the identity of the perpetrator or the location of the crime, detectives were unable to search for and impound vital forensic evidence. In addition, video evidence, showing interactions between the victim and perpetrator before and after the alleged crime, was lost. The criminal investigation was closed," the statement added.
The County District Office also revealed that both Ronaldo and the accuser had reached a civil settlement related to this matter in 2010.
"V and Cristiano Ronaldo, through their respective attorneys, eventually reached a civil settlement related to this matter in 2010. For the next eight years, law enforcement heard nothing more from V regarding the crime on the perpetrator. On August 28, 2018, V contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, asking that her sexual assault investigation be reopened, naming Cristiano Ronaldo as the offender. In spite of the passage of over nine years, Metro investigated her allegations," the statement of the County Office said.
"A Request for Prosecution was submitted to the District Attorney's Office on July 8, 2019. Based upon a review of the information presented at this time, the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming," the statement added.
Mayorga had filed a lawsuit last year which forced authorities to re-open the case, but due to lack of evidence, the case against Ronaldo was dropped.
( With inputs from ANI )