Rape Allegations Against Real Madrid Star
'It Has To Be Less!' Ronaldo Wrote in Text Message
A young woman claims that Cristiano Ronaldo raped her. Following the publication of a report on the allegations, the Real Madrid player's agency dismissed the story as "journalistic fiction." But DER SPIEGEL has evidence indicating that Ronaldo was privy to negotiations with the American.
http://www.spiegel.de/international...star-ronaldo-it-has-to-be-less-a-1144878.html
Four days before the away game in Bilbao, Cristiano Ronaldo had to take care of an important private matter. On Jan. 12, 2010, his lawyers and a mediator sat together with a young American woman who claims to have been raped by the professional football player for Real Madrid. They were seeking an out-of-court settlement.
Portuguese attorney Carlos Osório de Castro, who has advised Ronaldo on all his legal matters for years, also attended the appointment with Susan K., whose name has been changed for this story, and her lawyer. He informed his client in a text message about the current state of negotiations.
"The mediator now says that she has broken out in tears and that she is shaken because she thinks you're not interested in this matter and are someplace else altogether," Osório de Castro wrote:
"So far, there has been no talk about money, but that's coming."
Ronaldo answered, "OK."
On April 14, DER SPIEGEL
reported about the rape allegation lodged by Susan K. against Ronaldo. The case created a stir. The agency of Ronaldo's adviser Jorge Mendes released a statement claiming that the story was "journalistic fiction" that was based "on documents which are unsigned and where the parties are not identified."
But that statement is false.
DER SPIEGEL is in possession of the document outlining the out-of-court settlement between Susan K. and Ronaldo. It originates from the trove of data supplied by the whistleblower platform Football Leaks. In the documents, Ronaldo also appears under the codename "Topher." A "Confidential Side Letter Agreement" states the pseudonym refers to the football player. And: The paper is signed by Ronaldo. There's no reason to doubt the document's authenticity.
Documents that reveal Ronaldo's alias in the settlement agreement
The text messages exchanged between Ronaldo and lawyer Osório de Castro, of which DER SPIEGEL is in possession, also substantiate that the football player already knew in 2010 what he had been accused of in Las Vegas -- and that he was very interested in the details of the agreement, especially the financial particularities.
Forty-seven minutes after the first SMS, Ronaldo received a second message from Las Vegas. This time, it was just a number: "950,000 dollars." It appears to be the sum that the counterparty was seeking in compensation. Ronaldo wrote back: "That's the amount?"
Osório de Castro answered: "That is the first demand: That's 660,000 euros. We won't accept it. The negotiations are continuing."
Ronaldo then asked: "Is that too much?" Osório de Castro replied: "I think so. I think we'll close this for less."
Ronaldo then demanded: "It has to be less!" His lawyer replied: "OK."
The messages between Ronaldo and the lawyer provide several insights. First, when it comes to his career, Ronaldo doesn't leave anything to chance. Second, the football star monitors his money very closely. And finally, even today, those close to Ronaldo do not shy away from trying to cover up events that took place during the summer of 2009.
The agency of Ronaldo adviser Jorge Mendes is called Gestifute and it is headquartered in Porto, Portugal. In the firm's statement about the case in Las Vegas, released on April 14 in response to the SPIEGEL article, it seeks to discredit the presumed victim. It notes that Susan K. "refuses to come forward and confirm the veracity of the accusation."
But it's a deceitful statement because K. is prohibited from speaking out about the matter.
The out-of-court settlement between Ronaldo and K. clearly stipulates that she is not permitted to repeat the allegations against the football player -- especially publicly. If she violates the agreement, she is required to pay back the settlement she received from Ronaldo in addition to possible damages.
It's possible that this is the reason Susan K. declined to speak with DER SPIEGEL about what is alleged to have happened inside Ronaldo's suite or about the agreement that was negotiated between her and the world-famous football star seven months after that night in Las Vegas.
The exchange of text messages between Ronaldo and Osório de Castro suggest that the settlement negotiations in Las Vegas were protracted. In one, he wrote to his client: "We are finally finalizing this after 12 hours for 260,000 euros. On top of that will be the costs for mediation that I already told you about, plus a few payments to the lawyers who are now trying to formalize the transaction. I know that is a lot of money, but I think it was the best way out -- and it also wasn't easy to get at all."
Ronaldo has vehemently denied the rape allegation. His Munich lawyer Johannes Kreile informed DER SPIEGEL the week before last that, "We categorically reject the accusations raised" by Susan K.
Why, then, did Ronaldo need a "way out" in 2010?
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