Kathmandu, June12

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dismissed a civil lawsuit filed by former model Kathryn Mayorga concerning rape allegations from 2009 against Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo because of "bad faith" actions by her attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall.

Ken Ritter of the Associated Press reported Dorsey ruled Friday the case couldn't proceed because evidence used by Mayorga's legal team was obtained through stolen or leaked documents, including communication between Ronaldo and his attorneys.  

In a 42-page ruling released on Friday and quoted by AFP, Judge Dorsey accused Mr Stovall of "abuses and flagrant circumvention of the proper litigation process" and said that as a result, "Mayorga loses her opportunity to pursue this case."

Last year, a magistrate judge recommended the case be dismissed due to Mr Stovall's conduct.

The BBC has contacted Mr Stovall for comment.

In 2019, US prosecutors said Cristiano Ronaldo would not face charges over the accusations as they could not "be proven beyond reasonable doubt".

The Clark County District Attorney's office in Las Vegas said Ms Mayorga reported an assault in 2009, but refused to state where it had happened or who the attacker was. As a result police were unable "to conduct any meaningful investigation". But the allegations were investigated again in 2018 at her request.

It followed a 2017 article in German magazine Der Spiegel, which reported that in 2010, Ms Mayorga reached an out-of-court settlement with the footballer for agreeing never to go public with the allegations.

Ms Mayorga's lawyer said she had been inspired to re-open the case by the #MeToo movement.

Mr Ronaldo has not denied that the two met in Las Vegas in 2009, but said that what happened between them was consensual.