Cristiano Ronaldo held on rape allegation Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Ronaldo arrested
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was arrested Wednesday and questioned on suspicion of rape, reports said.
Scotland Yard said two men went to a police station in London and were questioned in connection with an allegation of a serious sexual assault at a central London hotel.
One of them, said be in his 30s, was released. The other, in his 20s, was arrested and detained at a police station for questioning by members of the police force's Operation Sapphire team, which specializes in rape investigations. Scotland Yard declined to identify the two men or give any other information relating to the allegations.
According to the Press Association and Sky News, the man arrested was 20-year-old Portugal international Ronaldo. The PA reported that the woman said she was seriously sexually assaulted in a penthouse suite at the Sanderson Hotel in central London on Oct. 2.
"We're not commenting at the moment," Manchester United director of communications Phil Townsend said.
Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford two seasons ago and played a starring role in the club's FA Cup success in 2004, scoring in the final in a 3-0 triumph over Millwall at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
