Cristiano Ronaldo's US rape case finally dismissed

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo can finally put his highly publicised rape case behind him. After many years, a US judge has decided to dismiss the allegations on the basis that the accuser's lawyer had used "leaked and stolen" records and documents in order to pursue the case.

It may be remembered that a woman named Kathryn Mayorga has accused the Portugal international of rape in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Ronaldo does not deny meeting Mayorga, but maintains that they engaged in consensual relations. The initial complaint was settled out-of-court in 2010 for which Mayorga received $375,000 (£304,000).

However, Mayorga claims to have been spurred on by the #MeToo movement, and has reopened the case to seek more damages from the football star. She also claimed that she was "pressured" into accepting the initial settlement.

However, the accuser's lawyer, Leslie Stovall, was deemed to have received "ill-gotten" information and documents related to the case. This is the main basis behind Judge Jennifer Dorsey's decision to dismiss the case.

In the ruling published in part by the BBC, the judge accused Mayorga's lawyer of "abuses and flagrant circumvention of the proper litigation process." This meant that Mayorga was stripped of the opportunity to move forward with the case.

The rape allegations first came to light back in 2009, but Mayorga initially refused to name the accused. After accepting the hefty settlement in 2010, the case was believed to have been closed until she decided to reopen the case in 2018. This time she went public with both her name and Ronaldo's, as well as more details about the alleged incident.

Now, five years later, it appears as though the footballer can finally move on with his life and put the issue behind him. There have been mixed reactions across the globe when the news about the allegations first came out, but Ronaldo has generally been able to keep his reputation intact. Nevertheless, there is no denying that some damage has been done, and he will be more than happy to finally have the case officially dismissed.