In Madrid High Court on Tuesday, Spanish football star Jenni Hermoso provided testimony asserting that the kiss by former football federation president Luis Rubiales, following Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory, was non-consensual. The investigating judge, Francisco de Jorge, spent about 2-1/2 hours reviewing evidence, including television footage, and will decide whether to press sexual assault and coercion charges against Rubiales.
Speaking to reporters after her closed-door testimony, Hermoso, Spain’s all-time leading scorer, expressed that “All is in the hands of justice,” emphasizing that the legal process must unfold. Her lawyer accompanied her as she left the court.
Jenni Hermoso hopes for Justice against Luis Rubiales
Hermoso filed a criminal complaint in September, alleging sexual assault and coercion regarding the kiss on the winners’ podium in August. She asserted that she did not desire the kiss and felt “vulnerable and a victim of an aggression.”
Rubiales, who resigned as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Sept. 10 amidst intense pressure, had insisted that the kiss was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric, and consensual.”
The case sent shockwaves through the sports world and Spanish society, prompting protests and raising awareness about forced intimacy imposed by influential figures. The hashtag #SeAcabo (“It’s over”) gained traction as a rallying cry in Spain.
Beyond potential criminal charges, Rubiales faces scrutiny from Spain’s top sports court for alleged “serious misconduct,” and FIFA has suspended him from office for three years.
High Court prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil highlighted that the sexual assault charge Rubiales may face carries a prison sentence of one to four years. Hermoso’s complaint also detailed alleged pressure from Rubiales and his entourage to have her and her relatives affirm that she “justified and approved what happened.” A restraining order preventing Rubiales from approaching Hermoso was issued when he appeared before Judge Francisco de Jorge in mid-September.
