Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United homecoming is disrupted by feminist protestors flying a banner reading ‘Believe Kathryn Mayorga’ over Old Trafford amid unresolved legal case regarding rape allegations
- Cristiano Ronaldo’s return for Manchester United was the target of a protest
- Feminist group flew banner over Old Trafford reading ‘believe Kathryn Mayorga’
- Case relates to rape allegations brought by an American woman he met in 2009
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United was met with a feminist protest in the sky above Old Trafford.
An expectant sell-out crowd chorused the 36-year-old’s name as he emerged from the tunnel ahead of a second debut for the club following last month’s £20million move from Juventus.
Shortly after the Portugese star’s entrance, a plane – organised by feminist campaign group Level Up – circled Old Trafford for much of the first half.
The aircraft flew over the stadium trailing a banner with the words ‘believe Kathryn Mayorga’, in reference to an unresolved civil case taken against Ronaldo in the United States.
Kathryn Mayorga, 37, reported a rape allegation in the hours after meeting Ronaldo in Las Vegas during June 2009, the month in which Real Madrid parted with a then-world record £80m for his services.
A criminal investigation ended in 2019, with the Las Vegas police department stating that the allegation could not ‘be proven beyond reasonable doubt’. Mayorga has a civil suit worth £56m ongoing. Ronaldo has strenuously denied the claims and branded them ‘fake news’.
Ronaldo seemed undeterred by the impassioned protest as he went on to score two goals in his comeback game, resulting in a 4-1 victory for Manchester United over Newcastle.
A protest saw a banner with the words ‘Believe Kathryn Mayorga’ flown over Old Trafford in relation to an unresolved legal case regarding rape allegations
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return for Manchester United was disrupted by feminist groups
The Portuguese forward had been making his highly anticipated return to the club
In 2010 the former model accepted £270,000 ($375,000) as an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo and his representatives.
However, three years ago, Mayorga claimed she was ‘mentally incapacitated’ when she accepted the settlement and has filed a civil lawsuit.
She is claiming £56million in damages – including £18m for her past ‘pain and suffering’, £18m for future ‘pain and suffering’ and another £18m for punitive damages, court documents revealed in April.
The alleged rape was said to have taken place in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 after the pair met the same night in the VIP area of RAIN nightclub.
Level Up say their demonstration today was to highlight that ‘the football world remains silent over the claims whilst it fawns over Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United’.
‘One of the world’s most famous athletes has been accused of rape, but there has been almost universal silence about it,’ said Janey Starling, co-director of Level Up.
‘Manchester United have not acknowledged that there are unresolved rape allegations against Ronaldo and are giving him a hero’s welcome.
‘As a society, we can’t let a woman’s story of rape be silenced. It is an uncomfortable reality that people aren’t speaking out about.’
Ronaldo agreed a £270,000 out of court settlement with Mayorga, including an DNA, in 2010 after they met in Las Vegas the previous year
The Portugal star agreed a £270,000 out-of-court settlement with Mayorga in 2010, which included the insertion of a non-disclosure agreement.
Mayorga since said that she was ‘mentally incapacitated’ when signing the agreement. Ronaldo’s lawyers accepted that the settlement exists but insisted it was ‘by no means a confession of guilt’.
Starling added: ‘We stand in solidarity with Kathryn Mayorga, and every single survivor of sexual violence across the world. We’re sending a message of solidarity to all survivors who refuse to be silenced, and a message to football that rape allegations can’t be kicked off the pitch.’
