Accuser in Cristiano Ronaldo rape claim took 'courage' from #MeToo

Participants march against sexual assault and harassment at the #MeToo March in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. File picture: Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo.

Participants march against sexual assault and harassment at the #MeToo March in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. File picture: Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo.

Published Oct 4, 2018

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Berlin - A woman who has accused football star Cristiano

Ronaldo of raping her gained courage from the #MeToo movement to file

a complaint, her lawyer has said.

The Juventus and Portugal forward has denied any wrongdoing after

being accused by Kathryn Mayorga of raping her in Las Vegas in 2009.

At a press conference in Las Vegas Wednesday, lawyer Leslie Stovall

said: "The #MeToo movement and the women who have stood up and

disclosed sexual assaults publicly have given Ms Mayorga a lot of

courage and has enabled her to come forward to file her civil

complaint and to police."

Mayorga, who was not at the press conference, has left Las Vegas to

escape the attention surrounding the case, Stovall said.

Ronaldo had said on Twitter Wednesday he awaited the result of a

reopened police inquiry "with tranquillity."

"I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an

abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe

in," he wrote.

"Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media

spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my

expense."

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dpa

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