Cristiano Ronaldo’s DNA was matched to evidence in the Las Vegas rape case and he told his lawyers his accuser had told him to “stop,” leaked emails claim.
In a tranche of emails between police and prosecutors during the investigation, detective Jeffrey Guyer wrote: “DNA is back and is a match,” The Sun reported.
The footballer, 34, was told in July he would not face criminal charges after former model Kathryn Mayorga claimed she was raped by him in 2009 in a Vegas suite.
According to The Sun, leaked emails also show that Ronaldo told his legal team Mayorga had said “no” and “stop”.
American model-turned-teacher Mayorga claimed Ronaldo had raped her in the Hotel Palms Place after they met on a night out and she agreed to go back to his room.
While police failed to find enough evidence to prosecute Ronaldo, Mayorga was earlier this year pressing ahead with a civil case which seeks to nullify a non-disclosure agreement she signed with the athlete in 2010.
She claimed his legal team exploited her vulnerable mental state in order to get her to sign the document.
In court papers filed earlier this year, Ronaldo’s legal team acknowledged for the first time that Ms Mayorga was paid $375,000 (£290,000) at the time she first made the accusations to police in order “to maintain the confidentiality of their dispute.”
However, they note that the payment in no way acknowledges guilt, and that in fact “the [agreement] made clear Mr. Ronaldo disputed [Mayorga’s] allegations and in no way conceded she was injured.
“To the contrary, the [agreement] stated in no uncertain terms that Mr. Ronaldo was agreeing to pay [Mayorga] a sum of money in order to maintain the confidentiality of their dispute.”
Last year Ronaldo said: “I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything I am and believe in.”
Ronaldo’s girlfriend, 25-year-old Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez, stood by him throughout the claims.
The civil lawsuit, in which Mayorga sought more than $200,000 (£150,000) in damages, had been moved to federal court.
Police could not conduct ‘any meaningful investigation’ at the time because Ms Mayorga declined to say who assaulted her or where it occurred, US prosecutors said.
As a result, detectives were “unable to search for and impound vital forensic evidence” and video showing Ronaldo and Mayorga together was lost, they added.
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