After the sporting procedure, civil justice. The prosecution demanded this Wednesday a two and a half year prison sentence against Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Federation for his non-consensual kiss given to Jenni Hermoso, last August, after the final of the Women’s World Cup won by the Iberian selection. Luis Rubiales is being prosecuted for the crimes of sexual assault and coercion, since he is also accused of having pressured the player to affirm that the kiss was consensual despite the images which went around the world. The La Roja striker has always said that this kiss was not consensual and that she felt vulnerable.
A sentence of one and a half years in prison also targets former coach Jorge Vilda, former marketing director Ruben Rivera and that of the men’s team Albert Luque, judged for the pressure subsequently exerted on the player. The prosecution considers that there are indications of the existence of concerted action by the three, agreed with Luis Rubiales “to break the will of Jennifer Hermoso Fuentes and get her to agree to record a video in which she said that the kiss had been consensual.” Added to this is a request from the prosecutor to prohibit Luis Rubiales from working in the sports field during his sentence and the ban on communicating or approaching Jenni Hermoso within 200 m for four years.
At the end of January, the Fifa appeal committee for its part confirmed the sanction at first instance, announced on October 30, 2023, imposing a three-year suspension on Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities. The latter has denied since the beginning of the affair any “sexual connotation” to his gesture, claiming to have acted out of “emotion” and in “a moment of happiness”.
