Football Star Cristiano Ronaldo Facing Life Imprisonment If Charged And Found Guilty Of Rape
The model, Kathyrn Mayorga is claiming that she met Ronaldo at a Las Vegas nightclub on June 12, 2009. Kathryn was a budding model at the time and part of her job was to hang out with other models in front of the bar to invite guests in.
However, a video footage showing the duo dancing and having fun at a Las Vegas nightclub few hours before the attack has been obtained by British newspaper, The Sun- confirming her version of spending time with him before the attack.
READ: 7 Major High-Points From The Alleged Rape Case Against Football Star Cristiano Ronaldo
In the footage, Ronaldo is seen dancing and placing his arm around Mayorga as they hung out with friends.
The 34-year-old lady who was an elementary teacher until recently said she had signed a settlement deal back then and was paid off for her silence. According to her, she could not stand up to him back then and hoped to soon forget the incident but was never able to.
The model-turned-teacher claims the Portuguese footballer later invited her to join him in his jacuzzi before he raped her.
The party continued in Ronaldo’s penthouse in the nearby hotel but only both of them can tell what happened afterwards. But Ms. Mayorga claims Ronaldo raped her, even when she said ‘no and stop’ repeatedly.
Although Ronaldo has remained silent on the issue, his lawyers have denied the allegations, insisting that it was consensual. There is also evidence that the football star paid $375,000 a few months after while she signed an agreement never to talk about what happened.
The lawyers of the football star have since said they would sue German magazine, Der Spiegel after it published ‘blatantly illegal’ accusations by the model who says she is ready to face the world after she was raped and silenced by them nine years ago.
Thus, with investigations currently going on, if found guilty, Ronaldo may face life imprisonment or be asked to pay a fine.
Under Las Vegas law, the punishment for rape or sexual assault may range from a fine to life imprisonment. According to the federal law of the United States, the severity of the punishment is based on the use of violence, the age of the victim, and whether drugs or intoxicants were used to override consent. If the perpetrator is a repeat offender the law prescribes automatically doubling the maximum sentence.
Whether the victim is an adult or of a child, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the death penalty is not available as a possible penalty if the victim does not die and death was not intended by the defendant.
Another report by the Bureau of Justice says that the sentence for rape and sexual assault is about four years and it is often much less depending on the extent of the offence while capital punishment remains available as a penalty where the victim dies, or where the defendant acts with intent to kill the victim but the victim survives.
But all of this is only subject to him being charged and found guilty in a court of law.