MADRID – Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will stand trial for his kiss on national player Jenni Hermoso after a High Court judge admitted the case.
He faces one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his actions after the kiss. The offences carry prison terms of one year and 18 months, respectively.
“(Rubiales will be tried) for the non-consensual kissing of Spanish national team player Jennifer Hermoso at the end of the World Cup final in Sydney on Aug 20 (2023), and for the subsequent coercion exerted to make her say publicly that it was consensual,” the court said in a statement on May 8.
The trial will be held at the Audiencia Nacional, a Madrid court in charge of complex cases, on a date yet to be set, said Judge Francisco de Jorge in the court document.
Besides the prison terms, the prosecution is also asking for two years’ probation once the sentence has been served and for him to pay €50,000 (S$72,800) in compensation to the player.
The High Court said it would also try the former coach of the women’s national team Jorge Vilda; the men’s team’s current sporting director, Albert Luque; and the federation’s head of marketing, Ruben Rivera – who are both suspended. All three stand accused of coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.
Rubiales, 46, grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips during the prize ceremony after Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup in Sydney last August, making global headlines and causing a national debate about sexism.
Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales – also under investigation in an alleged corruption case – argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
The court set bail of €65,000 for Rubiales' charge of sexual assault and another €65,000 to be posted jointly between Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and Rivera for the coercion charge. The case falls under the High Court’s jurisdiction because the alleged offences took place abroad.
Meanwhile, Rubiales was briefly arrested in April as part of a wide-ranging investigation into corruption and money laundering linked to taking Spain’s Super Cup tournament to Saudi Arabia.
He is also under investigation on allegations of hiring detectives to spy on the head of Spain’s players union; misusing federation funds to pay for personal expenses; and hosting a sex party, paid for with federation funds, in Granada, Spain, in 2020 – all claims that emerged after official complaints were made to prosecutors.
Rubiales has again denied he has committed those offences. REUTERS, AFP, NYTIMES
