Rubiales set to go on trial for Hermoso kiss as Spanish football federation’s former president is accused of sexual assault and coercion.
Rubiales will go on trial in Madrid on Monday over the unsolicited kiss he planted on the World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso.
Following claims that he attempted to coerce Hermoso, 34, into publicly stating that the kiss, which took place as she celebrated her team’s triumph in the 2023 World Cup in Australia, was consensual, Rubiales, 47, is charged with both sexual assault and coercion.
Rubiales, who first described the altercation as a “consensual peck” before resigning as president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), disputes the accusations.
Although persons who obtain penalties of less than two years in Spain can typically avoid prison by paying damages as long as they have no prior convictions, Spanish prosecutors are requesting a two-and-a-half-year prison term.
On Monday, Spain’s all-time leading scorer, Hermoso, who plays for Tigres in Mexico, will testify in Madrid’s high court.
In addition to sparking a #MeToo movement in Spanish football and a wider discussion about sexism in Spanish society, the outcry and protests around the incident overshadowed the women’s victory.
Former women’s national team head coach Jorge Vilda, former RFEF sporting director Albert Luque, and former federation marketing manager Rubén Rivera are also on trial for allegedly pressuring Hermoso.
Following the court’s examination of the remaining witnesses, Rubiales and his co-defendants will testify on or after February 12.
The kiss “was not consensual and was a unilateral and unexpected move,” according to Spain’s high court, which decided last year that there was sufficient evidence for a trial.
When the final whistle blew during the triumph against England on August 20, 2023, Rubiales was standing close to Queen Letizia of Spain and her daughter Infanta Sofía when he clutched his crotch.
In front of a crowded stadium and a worldwide television audience, he pulled Hermoso off her feet during the medal presentation, then seized her by the head and seemed to draw her towards him for a kiss on the lips. The event was captured on camera, which quickly went viral.
Hermoso’s first reaction, according to changing-room footage, was to tell teammates: “Hey, I didn’t like it.”