The Legal perspective on Cristiano Ronaldo alleged rape – Der Spiegel
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How Ronaldo’s Legal Team Dealt with Disaster
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After Kathryn Mayorga claimed she was raped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo on June 13, 2009, a phalanx of high-profile lawyers were tasked with fixing the problem. In the wake of a DER SPIEGEL report, authorities have reopened their investigation.
DER SPIEGEL reported last week about Mayorga’s rape allegations against Ronaldo. It is the story of a woman who long stayed silent — because she had to. Because nine years ago, she signed an agreement that had been hashed out by Ronaldo’s team of experts and her own lawyer.
In the out-of-court settlement, Mayorga agreed never to speak publicly about what took place in Palms Place on June 13, 2009. In return for her signature, she received $375,000.
The details of the case of Mayorga vs. Ronaldo sound like the plot of a John Grisham novel. The Client. The Firm. The Racketeer. There’s some of everything: unrelenting lawyers, sleazy investigators, a complete lack of mercy. And an alleged victim who gets kicked around by the opposing side’s legal team like a soccer ball on a pitch.
Jay Lavely, from the law firm Lavely & Singer, sought to placate his client. He’s an experienced attorney, cool and precise. In all of his years as a settlement negotiator, he has never had any details of signed agreements leak out into the public sphere.
Ronaldo’s team wanted to know everything about Mayorga, who was 25 at the time. They had her shadowed, with a private investigator noting when she left the house, whom she met, where she went to eat and how many glasses of red wine she had with dinner. The investigator even dug up the number of her marriage certificate. He learned that she had voted for the Democrats and that she had received a few parking tickets
When DER SPIEGEL first reported about Mayorga’s case a year and a half ago without mentioning the alleged victim’s name, the magazine received letters from two law firms specialized in media law. They hoped to be able to prevent the story from being published. A negotiator was also sent to Hamburg, where DER SPIEGEL is based, to learn more about the planned report — a task at which he did not succeed. The man no longer works as part of Ronaldo’s management team.
At the time, Ronaldo did not personally respond to the reports. Instead, he posted a photo of himself. It showed him in a victory pose, from behind, wearing only his underwear.
After DER SPIEGEL’s story last week, the case of Mayorga vs. Ronaldo made headlines around the world. Ronaldo, who now plays for Juventus Turin, took to Instagram and spoke of “fake news” and said someone was merely trying to get famous at his expense.
On Wednesday, Ronaldo took to Twitter to defend himself: “I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in.”
What happened on June 13, 2009, in the suite at Palms Place? Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Kathryn Mayorga know the truth.
Now at least, Mayorga’s story has landed where it should have been in the first place: in front of a proper court. At issue is the out-of-court settlement. In addition, a district attorney must also decide whether to initiate criminal proceedings against Ronaldo. Mayorga has been questioned by the police multiple times in recent weeks. Her last statement was recorded.
