Africa-Press – Mozambique. Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexual assault for forcibly kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent after the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.
Rubiales, who was acquitted of coercion, has been ordered to pay a fine exceeding €10,000 ($10,445) as part of the court’s ruling.
In addition to the financial penalty, he has been prohibited from approaching within 200 meters (656 feet) of Hermoso or contacting her for one year.
“The action of kissing a woman on the lips has a clear sexual connotation, and it is not the normal way to greet people with whom you do not have an emotional relationship,” the judge said in his ruling.
Rubiales retains the right to appeal the decision before the same court.
The 47-year-old Rubiales kissed Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the 2023 World Cup awards ceremony in Sydney after Spain’s narrow win against England.
In the wake of this incident, he asserted that he was the target of what he described as a “witch hunt” led by “false feminists.”
Several ministers, politicians, and non-governmental organizations in Spain criticized him and demanded his resignation. He resisted calls to step down until after FIFA suspended him.
Prosecutors eventually charged him with sexual assault and coercion for attempting to pressure Hermoso and her inner circle to say the kiss was consensual.
He was acquitted of coercion charges on Thursday.
Jorge Vilda, the former coach of the women’s national team; Albert Luque, the former Spanish football federation sporting director; and Ruben Rivera, the federation’s former marketing chief were also cleared of coercion charges.
*During the trial, Hermoso testified about how the incident affected her.
“I felt disrespected. One of the happiest days of my life was tarnished,” she said.
“I’d spent years fighting to win titles like the World Cup for my team, but all that’s happened to me means that I just haven’t been able to enjoy any of it from the moment I set foot back in Madrid.”
When asked why she appeared happy in videos despite the kiss, she responded that she did not need to be “crying in a corner” to have been bothered by a situation that she “never would have chosen.”
During the trial, Rubiales admitted he had “made a mistake” but argued that he believed he had her consent.
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