Police in Nevada have formally asked Italian authorities to obtain a DNA sample from Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo in the investigation of accusations that he raped a woman a decade ago in Las Vegas.
Cristiano Ronaldo's lawyer, Peter S Christiansen has confirmed authorities in Las Vegas have issued a warrant to collect DNA from the football star in the wake of allegations he raped a woman in the city in 2009
Ronaldo widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time has maintained he is innocent of rape and said through his Las Vegas lawyer on Thursday that the sexual encounter in question was consensual.
The matter came to light in September 2018 when Kathryn Mayorga sued Ronaldo in Clark County District Court in Nevada, accusing the athlete of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite in 2009, then paying her $375,000 in hush money.
Mayorga's lawyers said in September she was now seeking $200,000 in damages and to void the non-disclosure agreement, which they said she was coerced into signing by "personal reputation protection specialists hired" by the football star.
Ronaldo said on Twitter after the suit was filed that his "clear conscience" would allow him "to wait with tranquility the results of any and all investigations."
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said at the time an incident report was filed with police on the night of the alleged assault, and the case had since been reopened. But the police declined at the time to name Ronaldo as a subject of the investigation.
Under the investigation, the authorities in Las Vegas had sent a warrant seeking DNA from the football star to the court system in Italy, where Ronaldo plays as a forward for the professional football club Juventus. He also is captain of Portugal's national team.
According to the sources, investigators want to see if Ronaldo's DNA matches a sample found on a dress of his accuser that belongs to someone other than her.
Laura Meltzer, a Las Vegas police spokeswoman, said in an email the department is "taking the same steps in this case as in any other sexual assault to facilitate the collection of DNA evidence. We can confirm that an official request has been submitted to Italian authorities."
Mr. Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so it is not surprising that DNA would not be present, nor that the police would make this very standard request as part of their investigation, the attorney said.
The 33-year-old Ronaldo is one of the most famous athletes in the world. He is a five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, an annual award for the best footballer in the world. He is also a national hero in Portugal and led his country to the European Championship title in 2016
