The unwanted kiss to football player Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final in Sydney on August 20 could cost Luis Rubiales dearly. The Spanish Public Prosecution Service has demanded a two-and-a-half year prison sentence against the former president of the Spanish Football Federation for sexual aggression and coercion in connection with the kiss.
An unprecedented case
This demand follows an incident in which Rubiales kissed Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony following the victory of the Spanish national women’s football team. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has also demanded a prison sentence of one and a half years against Jorge Vilda, the former coach of the women’s national team, Rubén Rivera, the former marketing director of the Federation, and Albert Luque, the director of the men’s national team, for coercion.
In addition to the prison sentence, the prosecutor is demanding Rubiales be given a special ban from working in the sports sector for the duration of the sentence. He would also have to pay compensation of €50,000 to Hermoso, be placed under supervision for two years, and be banned from communicating and approaching Hermoso for a period of four years.
From kiss to controversy
The Public Prosecution Service describes how Rubiales approached Hermoso in Sydney on August 20, 2023 for a protocol congratulations. He held her head with both hands and kissed her on the lips unexpectedly and without her consent. This led to a series of events in which Rubiales put pressure on Hermoso and those close to her. Sometimes he did this in collaboration with the other accused. The purpose was for Hermoso to publicly approve of the kiss.
This pressure included forcing Hermoso to sign a press release on the way to the airport. That press release was prepared by the RFEF communications team on Rubiales’s orders. Despite her refusals, Rubiales continued to apply pressure. Even on the flight back to Spain, he tried to convince her to make a joint public statement claiming the kiss was consensual.
Consequences of the pressure
This continued pressure extended into the days following the incident. Rubiales and his team tried to convince Hermoso to participate in a video that would exonerate Rubiales. These efforts included approaching Hermoso’s family members with threats of negative consequences for her personally and professionally if she did not cooperate.
