A Spanish judge has suggested that former football federation president Luis Rubiales should face trial regarding the incident involving the women’s World Cup kiss with captain Jenni Hermoso.
Rubiales reportedly kissed Hermoso on the head during a presentation after Spain’s victory in Australia, an action Hermoso described as “not consensual,” though Rubiales denies this claim.
Following a hearing in Madrid, the judge characterized the kiss as “not consensual” and “a unilateral and surprising initiative.”
Prosecutors had previously charged Rubiales with sexual assault and coercion, with potential penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison.
The case also implicates several Spanish football executives, including Hermoso’s former coach Jorge Vilda, former marketing manager Rubén Rivera, and sports director of the men’s team Albert Luque.
They are accused of pressuring Hermoso to publicly state that the kiss was consensual. The judge has ruled that they should also face trial.
The court now awaits formal trial requests from the involved parties’ lawyers within ten days.
Hermoso, Spain’s leading scorer, testified before the court, reiterating that the kiss was “unexpected and at no time consensual.”
Initially, a statement attributed to Hermoso after the incident suggested the kiss was consensual, but she later expressed being pressured by football federation officials to endorse the statement.
The kiss occurred during the medal ceremony in Sydney following Spain’s victory over England on August 20 last year.
Rubiales contends that the kiss was a “consensual peck,” but the controversy led to his resignation as president of the Spanish football federation, sparking global outrage over sexism in women’s sports leadership.
Source-BBC
