Francisco de Jorge, judge of the National Court of Spain, cited the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, to declare on Friday as investigated in the case opened for the non-consensual kiss he gave to the women’s soccer player Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup final.
De Jorge decided to summon the former director to testify as under investigation, a figure that in Spain is equivalent to that of an accused, this one day after admitting to processing the complaint filed by the Prosecutor’s Office against Rubiales for the crimes of sexual assault and coercion.
Spanish prosecutors formally charged Rubiales last week with alleged sexual assault and coercion after pressuring Hermoso. to come to her defense after the scandal broke out, the soccer player said.
Rubiales kissed Hermoso without consent during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory against England on August 20 in Sydney, Australia. The former manager alleged that it was a “mutual” act, something that Hermoso has denied.
Judge De Jorge is in charge of the preliminary investigation into the accusations against Rubiales and will decide whether or not the case should go to trial.
Under a sexual consent law passed in Spain in 2022, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of between one and four years, if found guilty of sexual assault. The new rule eliminated the difference between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” condemning any non-consensual sexual act.
Rubiales resigned from the RFEF
The former president of the RFEF announced his resignation from office over the weekendthree weeks after the controversial non-consensual kiss she gave Hermoso during the medal ceremony at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which the Spanish won.
Furthermore, speaking of “powers that be” that prevented him from doing his job again, Rubiales also resigned from his position at UEFA, where he served as vice president. FIFA had already suspended Rubiales from his duties for 90 days while resolving a disciplinary file.
The highest body in world football had banned from “all activities related to football at national and international level”.
Keep reading:
Rubiales on the kiss with Jenni Hermoso: “My intentions were noble, 100% non-sexual. There was no harm, nor did it have sexual content.”
The National Court of Spain admitted a complaint against Luis Rubiales and asked to collect all the videos of the kiss with Jenni Hermoso for the investigation
Javier Tebas on the resignation of Luis Rubiales: “Neither La Liga nor I want to control the RFEF”
#Rubiales #charged #testify #September #case #nonconsensual #kiss #Jenni #Hermoso
