US prosecutors take final decision on Cristiano Ronaldo's rape case

Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, will not face criminal charges over an alleged rape in Las Vegas, US prosecutors have said, the UK Mirror reports.

Kathryn Mayorga, 35, had claimed the former Manchester United star had attacked her in a Sin City suite in 2009.

The footballer had vehemently denied her accusations.

On Monday, the Clark County District Attorney's Office said it had made a decision not to prosecute as "the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."

Explaining their decision, the prosecutors said: "On June 13, 2009, a female victim ('V') placed a call to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and reported that she had been the victim of sexual assault.

"Members of law enforcement responded to her location to take a crime report. Police transported V to the hospital so that a sexual assault examination could be conducted."

"A short time later, sexual assault detectives arrived at the hospital and made contact with V.

"Although she knew who the person was who assaulted her, V refused to identify him or disclose where the crime occurred.

"As a result, the police were unable to follow investigative protocols for sexual assault cases or to conduct any meaningful investigation. Without knowing the identity of the perpetrator or the location of the crime, detectives were unable to search for and impound vital forensic evidence.

"In addition, video evidence, showing interactions between the victim and perpetrator before and after the alleged crime, was lost. The criminal investigation was closed."

"V and Cristiano Ronaldo, through their respective attorneys, eventually reached a civil settlement related to this matter in 2010. For the next eight years, law enforcement heard nothing more from V regarding the crime or the perpetrator."