Police set to grill Ronaldo over Vegas rape claim

CRISTIANO RONALDO is likely to face a police interview over rape allegations as American detectives prepare to bring sophisticated new methods to their investigation. Las Vegas police refused to discuss who they will interview, having announced this week they had re-opened the case. But a US detective who has handled 1,200 sexual assault cases said he had no doubt the force would want to question Ronaldo over 34-year-old Kathryn Mayorga’s claims, at a time when the #MeToo movement has triggered the re-opening of hundreds of historic allegations. Ronaldo’s alleged victim may be asked to undertake a new form of psychological assessment, designed to trigger memories of the night in June 2009 when she was with the footballer. American detectives are finding increasing success in focusing on what they call ‘neurobiological trauma’, which allows those who allege sexual assault to recall details years later. Ronaldo, who denies he raped Ms Mayorga, spoke out in a video on Instagram hours after her lawyers filed court documents about the case on Sunday. Grinning into the camera, he said: ‘No, no, no, no, no. What they said today? Fake, fake news.’ But the court documents, first published by Der Spiegel, show that Ronaldo’s lawyers paid Ms Mayorga, a teacher, $375,000 (£228,000) to maintain her silence on what happened in a bathroom at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It is understood Ronaldo maintains any sexual encounter was entirely consensual. The indication by Ronaldo’s main sponsor Nike that it is ‘deeply concerned’ by the claims further underlines that this is an allegation the player cannot simply wave away.