A Spanish court has found former football chief Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for the non-consensual kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Luis Rubiales will now have to pay €10,800 ($11,300) as a fine for the non-consensual kiss. While Rubiales was convicted of sexual assault, he and three others were acquitted of coercion charges.
Prosecutors had initially sought a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Rubiales—comprising one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion—arguing that he pressured Hermoso to minimize the incident’s significance. Recall that the incident occurred after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory in Australia in 2023.
The global condemnation surrounding the kiss led to Rubiales resigning from his position, highlighting important discussions about the issues of macho culture and sexism in sports. Hermoso, 34, expressed in court that she faced significant disrespect from the kiss, which she asserted was inappropriate in any professional or social context.
Rubiales, 47, maintained during the trial that he believed Hermoso had consented to the kiss as she accepted her medal. He denied any form of coercion following the incident, which received extensive media coverage. Admitting to a misstep on the podium, he acknowledged the need for a more formal demeanor but maintained that no offense was committed.
His court statements contrasted sharply with his earlier response to the scandal, where he downplayed the incident and resisted calls for his resignation while criticizing what he termed “false feminism.” Following the global backlash, Rubiales resigned in September 2023 after being suspended by FIFA and facing a legal investigation.
Jenni Hermoso, recognized as the all-time top scorer for Spain’s women’s team, currently plays for Mexican club Tigres.
Note that she was not immediately called back to the national team after the World Cup. The new coach of the women’s national team, Montse Tomé emphasized that the decision was made to support her well-being rather than as a form of punishment.