For more than a year, Conor McGregor was under investigation in Ireland, his home country, after a woman accused him of rape. He was not charged criminally, but this week the woman filed a lawsuit. Here is where the case stands:
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Two years ago, the woman told law enforcement in Dublin that McGregor had raped her. McGregor was arrested, questioned and released by police, but was not charged with any crime as the investigation continued.
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The police referred the case to prosecutors, who ultimately declined to pursue criminal charges against McGregor.
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The woman filed a lawsuit against McGregor in Ireland’s High Court on Monday. The statement of claim in the lawsuit, which was obtained by The New York Times, lays out for the first time in graphic detail what she says happened during their encounter. Her claim said McGregor choked and raped her. She was told later by the police, the claim said, that a friend of McGregor’s said he had sex with her as well, but she had no recollection of it and did not consent.
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McGregor has denied the allegations. In a statement, a spokeswoman for McGregor said he “will dispute any claims and is confident that justice will prevail.” On Thursday, McGregor himself called the lawsuit “old news” and said that he had been cleared of wrongdoing, even though.
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If the lawsuit continues moving forward, the case will eventually be heard by a jury. A jury would have to decide whether what the woman describes more likely than not occurred, a lower burden of proof than in a criminal case, where the offense must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
