Cristiano Ronaldo's lawyer has claimed that documents in which the footballer reportedly admits to raping an American woman are "pure inventions", fabricated as part of an "intentional defamation campaign" against the Portuguese player. Peter Christiansen claims that the documents relating to Ronaldo's case had been hacked into, stolen and altered in 2015, as he strongly denied the allegations that his client had raped Kathryn Mayorga, 34, in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.
The documents which were apparently produced by Ronaldo's lawyers after the alleged incident, claims that Mayorga had "made herself available" and admitted that she repeatedly told him to stop.
These documents were seen and reported on by Der Spiegel last week but Christiansen reaffirmed Ronaldo's innocence and insisted that the documents had been fabricated, in a statement quoted by the Independent.
"By 2015, dozens of entities [including law firms] in different parts of Europe were attacked and their electronic data stolen by a cyber criminal," said Christiansen.
"This hacker tried to sell such information, and a media outlet irresponsibly ended up publishing some of the stolen documents, significant parts of which were altered and/or completely fabricated.
"Once again, for the avoidance of doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo's position has always been, and continues to be, that what happened in 2009 in Las Vegas was completely consensual." Christiansen confirmed Mayorga's claim that she had signed a non-disclosure agreement in 2010, but said that this was in no way an admission of guilt.