Former Spanish soccer president after tainting his country’s Women’s World Cup victory Luis Rubiales Will be on trial for front kissing Jenni Hermoso in the final without her consent.
Investigative Judge Francisco de Jorge issued the following verdict on Thursday: rubiales kiss “It was done without consent, in a unilateral and surprising manner,” the court said.
State prosecutors charged Mr. Rubiales with sexual assault and attempting to coerce Mr. Hermoso into public support. opposition to him.
Despite initially claiming she was the victim of a campaign led by “fake feminists,” Ms Rubiales was ultimately arrested for her behavior during the World Cup final awards ceremony in Sydney in August. resigned. He denies any wrongdoing.
In addition to Mr. Rubiales, the judge also found that former Spain national team coach Jorge Vilda, Spanish men’s team sporting director Alberto Luque, and Rubén Rivera, the federation’s former marketing director, told Hermoso that Mr. Rubiales The court ruled that Hermoso should be tried on charges of pressuring him to defend himself, but Hermoso refused. .
A court date will be set.
Hermoso testified before a trial judge this month. The 33-year-old forward is Spain’s all-time leading scorer in the Mexican League and enjoys wide support in the country. Many hope the kissing scandal will spur a reckoning with sexism in Spanish sports.
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If convicted, Rubiales could face a fine or one to four years in prison under the Sexual Consent Law passed in 2022, Madrid’s public prosecutor’s office said. The new law abolished the distinction between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault” and sanctioned non-consensual sexual acts.
Rubiales, 46, also appeared near Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia of Spain, grabbing their crotches in a sneaky gesture of victory. Spanish victorywhich quickly became a national embarrassment.
Hermoso and his teammates refused to continue playing as long as he was in charge, and the government brokered an agreement by the federation’s interim president to overhaul the constitution and increase support for women’s teams. He returned to the team a week later. This included removing the term “women’s” from the official team name.
The judge found enough evidence to believe that Mr. Rubiales unsuccessfully pressured Mr. Hermoso to appear in a video he produced and released amidst the growing public uproar against him. The judge said there was reason to believe that Mr. Wilda had similarly pressured Mr. Hermoso’s brother. The judge said Luque and marketing director Rivera were also involved in an alleged attempt to coerce her into supporting her disgraced boss.
FIFA has suspended Rubiales for three years, until the end of the 2026 Men’s World Cup. Her suspension will expire by the next women’s tournament in 2027. Spain’s sports authorities also ruled that the player was unsuitable for a three-year sports management position.