A judge from a federal magistrate in Nevada backed the legal representation of football star Cristiano Ronaldo on dismissal of a rape allegation. A woman sued the footballer for nearly $375,000 in a case revolving around hush money she received in 2010 for rape allegations.

In a scathing recommendation to the judge hearing the case, Magistrate Judge Daniel Albregts on Wednesday blamed Kathryn Mayorga’s attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, for basing the case on leaked and stolen documents that Albregts said were privileged communications between Ronaldo and his lawyers.

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“Dismissing Mayorga’s case for the inappropriate conduct of her attorney is a harsh result,” Albregts wrote in his recommendation to United States District Judge Jennifer Dorsey. “But it is, unfortunately, the only appropriate sanction to ensure the integrity of the judicial process”, according to reports from Associated Press.

A date for Dorsey to take up Albregt’s recommendation was not immediately set.

“Stovall has acted in bad faith to his client’s — and his profession’s — detriment,” Albregts decided.

Stovall and other attorneys in his office did not immediately respond Thursday to telephone and email messages about Albregt’s order.

Ronaldo’s attorney in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, issued a statement saying Ronaldo’s legal team was “pleased with the court’s detailed review … and its willingness to justly apply the law to the facts and recommend dismissal of the civil case against Mr. Ronaldo”, according to reports from Associated Press.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted, but Mayorga gave consent through Stovall and attorney Larissa Drohobyczer to make her name public.

It was also highlighted that the court has so far not reached a decision on Ronaldo committing a crime and further noted that no evidence has been discovered that his attorneys “intimidated Mayorga or impeded law enforcement” when Mayorga finalised the confidential settlement about a decade ago.

The 36-year-old footballer has gained the reputation of being one of the most successful players and has also served as the captain of the national Spanish team. Earlier this year, Ronaldo made a jump to his old English Premier League club Manchester United.

(With AP inputs)