MADRID (AP) — Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spanish soccer, is set to stand trial for an unwarranted kiss on forward Jenni Hermoso during the Women’s World Cup final, tarnishing Spain’s victory.
On Thursday, investigative judge Francisco de Jorge ruled that Rubiales’ kiss was “unconsented and carried out unilaterally and in a surprising fashion,” according to the court.
Rubiales faces accusations of sexual assault and alleged coercion of Hermoso to publicly support him amidst the public backlash. Despite initially denying any wrongdoing and attributing the controversy to a campaign led by “false feminists,” Rubiales resigned from his position in August during the World Cup final awards ceremony in Sydney.
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Hermoso and her teammates boycotted playing under Rubiales’ leadership, returning only after the government mediated an agreement for an overhaul of federation protocols, offering more support to the women’s team. This included removing the term “women’s” from the official team name.
If found guilty under Spain’s 2022 sexual consent law, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence ranging from one to four years. The law eliminated the distinction between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” penalizing any non-consensual sexual act.
FIFA imposed a three-year ban on Rubiales until after the men’s 2026 World Cup, while Spain’s sports authority deemed him unfit for a sports management post for three years.
