Cristiano Ronaldo given court papers following rape lawsuit: Details here
What's the story
Juventus and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday was served with court papers in the USA following a rape lawsuit against him. He was accused of rape by Kathryn Mayorga. The incident happened in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. However, since the allegations surfaced, Ronaldo has strongly denied the allegations as he has insisted that the incident was consensual. Here's more on this.
Legal process
Legal process to involve identical state level case
The attorney of Mayorga had stated last week that the legal process for this case has been deemed as "federal court's rules on serving foreigners". A motion, which was filed in Nevada this Friday, said, "the parties have agreed to deem Defendant effectively served." This means Ronaldo has received official case documents and it shall move forward as per the procedure.
Accusation
Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her
Mayorga had accused Ronaldo of raping her, after she filed an official complaint. She had then entered into a financial settlement with him as she was undergoing emotional trauma and could not participate in the mediation process. However, following the recent #MeToo movement, she has been inspired to speak about the incident of sexual harassment against her.
Information
Las Vegas police reopened investigation in 2018
Following the incident, while the initial charges were dropped by her, there was a renewed case. Owing to this, Las Vegas police decided to reopen the investigation in 2018. Her lawyers also state that the non-disclosure agreement was not a confession of guilt by Ronaldo.
Concern
Nike, EA Sports express concern over Ronaldo's rape allegations
Following the rape allegations over Ronaldo, his sponsor Nike expressed its concerns. Ronaldo had signed a $1 billion with the company, a deal which he quoted "for life". Besides Nike, EA Sports too have expressed its concerns of having him as the face in the cover of FIFA 19. Although it all happened last year, fresh concerns are sure to flow in.
What's next?
Ronaldo coming off UEFA Nations League triumph
As Ronaldo prepares to take part in the investigation, he has currently enjoyed a good stint, having won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal. While he had not had the best of the season at Juventus, he still managed to win the Serie A in his debut season. He will be resting for the next month, before getting his season preparations underway.