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Summary:
- Spain’s Ex-President for football Luis Rubiales to face trial for forcefully kissing Jenni Hermoso
- Rubiales could be tried for sexual assault and face either a fine or up to 4 years in prison
- The judge has also ordered for three other executives who reported to Rubiales go on trial
Luis Rubiales who was the president for football in Spain during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup got himself in immense trouble after forcefully kissing his star player Jenni Hermoso after Spain ended up winning the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
His ‘infamous kiss’ was done in front of everyone and would later go viral on social media.
Rubiales initially laughed off the incident claiming that it was done with no harm as everyone was happy and celebrating.
However, once the incident blew up on social media, he was forced to resign from his position reluctantly. Since then, he has been banned by Spain from holding any position in sports management for 3 years and also received a 3 year ban from FIFA.
Rubiales and Ex-Federation Executives To Face Trial
Things could end up getting a loss worse for the disgraced Rubiales as a judge has ordered Rubiales to go on trial as he deemed the kiss to be one-sided and unconsented. Judge Francisco de Jorge heard testimony from Jenni Hermoso earlier this month and determined that Rubiales should go on trial. Hermoso had also filed a lawsuit in Sep 2023 against Rubiales.
Hermoso told the authorities that Rubiales and senior executives who reported to him put pressure on her after the incident to defend Rubiales and play down the incident which caused her distress and anxiety. The three executives are Ruben Rivera, ex-marketing head for the football federation, Jorge Vilda who was the head coach during the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup and Albert Luque who was the director for the men’s football team.
The judge has also ordered the three executives to go on trial and is yet to determine a date for the trial.
Rubiales Could Serve Prison Time
Spain passed a new sexual consent law in 2022 that made a clear distinction between what is to be considered sexual assault and sexual harassment. If Rubiales is tried and found guilty of sexual harassment, he could end up paying a fine or face a max prison term of 4 years.
