Luis Rubiales facing trial
Former Spanish soccer president Luis Rubiales will face trial for kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent at the World Cup
After sullying his nation’s Women’s World Cup victory, former Spanish soccer president Luis Rubiales is facing trial for kissing forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent at the final. Investigative judge Francisco de Jorge ruled on Thursday that Rubiales’ kiss was “unconsented and carried out unilaterally and in a surprising fashion,” the court said.
State prosecutors accused Rubiales of sexual assault and for allegedly trying to coerce Hermoso to publicly support him in the public backlash against him.
Luis Rubiales, Ex-Chief of Spanish Soccer, is now facing a trial because he kissed a player when celebrating Spain’s World Cup victory.
If the genders were reversed here this never would’ve been a scandal. pic.twitter.com/H8TuaqGvNR
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 25, 2024
Tried to claim he was a victim
Rubiales, who initially claimed to be the victim of a campaign led by “false feminists,” eventually resigned from his post in August over his behavior during the World Cup final awards ceremony in Sydney. Although he has denied any wrongdoing, he stepped down from his position.
The judge has also decided that former Spain coach Jorge Vilda, sports director of Spain’s men’s team Albert Luque, and the federation’s former head of marketing Rubén Rivera will be tried for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to defend Rubiales, a move she refused to make.
The date for the trial is yet to be determined.
Hermoso, who is Spain’s all-time leading scorer and a 33-year-old forward playing in the Mexican league, testified before the investigative judge earlier this month. Her case has received widespread support in the country, with many hoping that the kiss scandal will lead to a reckoning with sexism in Spanish sports.
Facing up to four years
Based on a sexual consent law passed in 2022, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty, according to the prosecutors’ office in Madrid. The new law eliminated the difference between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” sanctioning any unconsented sexual act.
The 46-year-old Rubiales, who also grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture near Spain’s Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia during the celebrations of Spain’s victory, immediately became a national embarrassment.
The team refused to play afterward
Hermoso and her teammates refused to keep playing as long as he was in charge and returned to the team only weeks later when the government mediated an agreement by the federation’s interim president to overhaul its protocols and give more support to its women’s side. That included the elimination of the term “women’s” from the official team name.
The judge found sufficient evidence also to believe Rubiales unsuccessfully pressured Hermoso to appear in a video he produced and published while the public outroar against him. The judge said there was also reason to believe Vilda likewise pressured Hermoso’s brother. Luque and marketing head Rivera were also involved in the alleged attempt to coerce her support of her disgraced boss, according to the judge.