The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office requested this Friday that Luis Rubiales be prohibited from contacting Jenni Hermoso and maintaining a distance of at least 500 meters from the player, after the kiss during the celebrations for winning the Women’s Soccer World Cup.
Five days after resigning as director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales appeared this Friday before a judge investigating a complaint of sexual assault for forcibly kissing player Jenni Hermoso.
The hearing took place at a time when world champion footballers said they would continue to boycott the national team unless there were further reforms in the Spanish Football Federation, even though Rubiales had resigned over the case.
Dozens of journalists were present when Rubiales, 46, left Madrid’s National Court after being questioned by Judge Francisco de Jorge, who is leading the investigation.
Rubiales did not speak to the press, but was questioned behind closed doors as a defendant in connection with allegations of “sexual assault.”
Hermoso will also be called to testify at a later date.
At the hearing, Rubiales again stated that the kiss was consensual, according to a judicial source.
According to a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category that encompasses all types of sexual violence. If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources from the Public Ministry said.
The prosecutors specified that they included the crime of coercion in the complaint presented by Hermoso’s statement, which reveals that he suffered, in addition to “people close to him, constant pressure from Luis Rubiales and his professional circle to justify and accept.” your behavior.
Source: TSF
