Former Spanish soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales is facing trial after being accused of kissing national soccer player Jennifer Hermoso without her consent. The alleged incident occurred following Spain’s World Cup victory last year, leading to Rubiales being charged with sexual assault and coercion. Spanish prosecutors are seeking a prison term totaling two years and six months for the offenses.
Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he had consent from Hermoso for the kiss. However, Hermoso has maintained that she did not consent and was not respected by Rubiales. She has spoken out about the consequences she faced as a result of the incident, including receiving threats.
In addition to Rubiales, the trial will also involve former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, the team’s current sporting director Albert Luque, and the federation’s head of marketing Ruben Rivera. They are accused of pressuring Hermoso into stating the kiss was consensual. The court has set bails for Rubiales’ charges of sexual assault and coercion, as well as a joint bail for the other individuals involved in the case.