Jennifer Hermoso, a player on the Spanish women’s national soccer team, testified Tuesday that the kiss she received from Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales after winning the World Cup was not consensual. Photo courtesy: Mariscal/EPA-EFE
Luis Rubiales resigned as Spain’s top football executive in September over the incident, but continues to insist the kiss was consensual. File photo: Juan Carlos Hidalgo/EPA-EFE
Jan. 2 (UPI) — Yeni Hermoso, a member of the Spanish national soccer team, testified in Madrid on Tuesday that Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales kissed her on the lips without her consent during a World Cup medal ceremony.
Hermoso told the court that the kiss, which took place after Spain’s women’s team won last year’s World Cup in Australia, was “unexpected and in no way consensual.”
advertisement
After testifying, she told reporters: “Everything is in the hands of justice, that’s all I can say.”
Following the incident, Hermoso, one of the top stars in Spanish women’s soccer, filed criminal charges against Rubiales for kissing her and tried to pressure Rubiales into speaking out in her favor.
Madrid judge Francisco de Jorge charged Rubiales with sexual assault and coercion over the incident, as kissing without consent can be considered sexual assault under Spanish law. I’m trying to decide whether or not I should.
Rubiales, who resigned as Spain’s top football executive in September over the incident, continues to insist the kiss was consensual and that he had asked her permission. She vehemently rejected that claim in her testimony, saying she felt it cost her and her teammates what could have been a fun time.
“No person should ever be the victim of this type of non-consensual conduct in any work, sport or social setting,” she told the court. “I felt vulnerable and the victim of misplaced aggression, impulsive and sexist behavior. And without consent on my part. Simply put, I There was no respect.”
FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, suspended Rubiales in the fall when he initially refused to resign. Dozens of women on the Spanish national team said they would refuse to play until he did.
A judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Rubiales from coming within 600 feet of Hermoso, and in October FIFA banned him from all soccer-related activities for three years.