RONALDO ARRESTED

The Guardian:

Detectives arrested the Manchester United footballer Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday in connection with an allegation of rape. The 20-year-old Portuguese international was asked to attend a police station by detectives from Operation Sapphire, a team of Scotland Yard officers who investigate sex crime. He was released on police bail last night to return at an unknown date.

Police were questioning him in connection with allegations made by a woman who claims she was raped in a hotel in central London three weeks ago. Ronaldo, who was in London with his team after playing a Premiership match, was alleged to have met the woman and a friend in a nightclub before going to a hotel with them.

Manchester United said it would not be making any comment. Ronaldo is expected to deny any wrongdoing. A second man in his 30s, who is thought to have been with Ronaldo on the night, also kept an appointment at a police station in London yesterday but was not arrested.

The Sun:

Cristiano Ronaldo was arrested yesterday over a sensational rape allegation. The Manchester United winger, 20, is accused of attacking a French girl at a London hotel.

Portuguese ace Ronaldo — who denies the claim — was quizzed by cops at West Didsbury police station.

He had fingerprints taken, along with a saliva sample.

The girl has told police the footballer took her to his £2,500-a-night suite at a top London hotel, The Sun can reveal.

She said she and a girl pal met the Manchester United winger at the ultra-trendy Movida bar, close to Oxford Circus.

He was in the capital following the Saturday October 2 game against Fulham, which the Red Devils won 3-2, and had met up with a group of friends.

Both women went back to the Sanderson Hotel in West London with the 20-year-old Portuguese player and a man believed to be one of his relatives.

The group are said to have sat in the hotel’s Long Bar drinking for two hours before heading up to the suite.

The women, both French, claimed they were then raped.

They left the hotel at 5am and went to a hospital. They did not go to cops until Monday morning.

The French women were quizzed and examined at a rape counselling suite. Cops are no longer pursuing the complaint from one of the women, who lives in London. But they are taking seriously the allegation by the other, who had been visiting her friend.

Detectives waited until yesterday to question Ronaldo because of his footballing commitments.

Legal sources said Ronaldo could find it tougher to prove his innocence than people involved in similar previous cases.

In the past, an alleged victim had to prove she was forced to have sex.
But after last year’s Sexual Offenders’ Act the onus is now on the accused to prove they knew consent had been given.