The ex-Spanish soccer federation head was fined over €10,000 and slapped with a restraining order
Spain’s National Court has found former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault in the 2023 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup final incident where he kissed player Jenni Hermoso, reported the Associated Press.
On Thursday, a judge fined Rubiales over €10,000 (US$10,400) in a written statement released without a court proceeding. Rubiales was also barred from communicating with Hermoso and or coming within 200 meters of her for one year.
Rubiales was acquitted of a coercion charge claiming that Hermoso was pressured to downplay the incident during the awards ceremony that took place after the final.
“A kiss without consent is sexual assault. The words of the victim must be respected,” said Ana Redondo, Spain’s equality minister, following the verdict in a statement published by APNews.
Rubiales had kissed Hermoso on the lips after Spain netted its first Women’s World Cup win in Sydney. The incident was met with outrage in Spain and dampened the celebrations over the historic victory, with Hermoso saying at trial in a statement published by APNews that the kiss “stained one of the happiest days of my life.” Rubiales argued that the kiss was consensual, while his lawyers said that even if it was nonconsensual, the incident should not be considered sexual assault.
Hermoso and her teammates initiated a boycott after the incident and declined to play while Rubiales led the federation. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association suspended Rubiales and launched a disciplinary case; Rubiales eventually resigned his post three weeks after the incident.
In addition, coercion claims were filed against former women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team sports director Albert Luque, and marketing head Ruben Rivera, with Hermoso saying she was forced to record a video with Rubiales to minimize the kissing incident. All three former federation members were acquitted by the court.
Rubiales, Vilda, Luque, and Rivera alleged that Hermoso had not considered the kiss to be an important issue at the time it happened.
Rubiales conceded in his testimony that he regretted the kiss because it was inappropriate in his then-role as a national federation president. Prosecutors sought a two and a half-year jail sentence for Rubiales that amounted to one year for sexual assault and one and a half years for coercion.
Rubiales’ lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling, though Spanish media expected Rubiales to appeal. Hermoso’s lawyers also did not respond to requests for comment, APNews said.
