Madrid, Feb 20 (IANS) Spain’s former football federation president, Luis Rubiales, has been found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent, Spain’s High Court ruled. He was fined 10,800 euros but acquitted of coercion charges. The incident occurred as Spain’s players received their medals after winning the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Sydney when Rubiales grabbed Hermoso’s head and kissed her on the lips. The act sparked widespread protests and calls for his resignation.
The court also barred Rubiales from approaching Hermoso within 200 metres or communicating with her for one year.
Three of his former colleagues – World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda, ex-RFEF marketing chief Rubén Rivera, and former sporting director Albert Luque – were acquitted of coercion charges. The prosecutors called for a prison sentence for Rubiales, who recently told a court that he was “absolutely sure” Hermoso had consented to the kiss. He described the act as an “affectionate gesture” and claimed it was “completely spontaneous” at the time.
However, in her testimony earlier this month, Hermoso maintained that she had not given her consent, stating that the incident “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.
Rubiales faced charges of sexual assault and coercion, accused of pressuring Hermoso into claiming the kiss was consensual. The incident, witnessed by millions of television viewers and an entire stadium, occurred after the Spanish women’s team won the 2023 World Cup. The controversy sparked a “Me Too”-style movement in Spanish women’s football, with players advocating for the fight against sexism and demanding equality with their male counterparts.
In September 2023, Rubiales resigned after weeks of resisting calls to step down, following a suspension by FIFA and the opening of an investigation by Spanish prosecutors.
–IANS
ab/bsk/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
