Kissing Scandal: Ex-Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales To Appear In Court

The former president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, will give evidence in court in Madrid on Friday, September 15, 2023, for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso.

Rubiales must appear in person before a magistrate at noon local time (11:00 BST) to answer claims of sexual assault and coercion, according to a high court ruling.

Recall that Hermoso complained to the court about Rubiales’ kiss on her lips on August 20 after her country won the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.

Hermoso, 33, asserted that the kiss was neither “mutual” nor “consensual”, in contrast to Rubiales’ insistence.

She also asserted that Rubiales and his “professional entourage” had forced her family members to say that she “justified and approved what happened.” Hence, last Monday, prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil added an allegation of coercion to the lawsuit.

The National Court’s Judge Francisco de Jorge accepted the lawsuit on Monday and assigned a magistrate to conduct an investigation.

The magistrate will either recommend that the case go to trial or be dropped after an inquiry is finalized.

Jorge also requested that evidence of the incident be produced, including videos of the team’s celebrations that were published online by El Pais, AS, and La Vanguardia.

The fallout from the kiss has overshadowed Spain’s World Cup success in recent weeks; Rubiales first refused requests to quit but eventually did so on Sunday.

The punishment for sexual assault in Spain can be anything from a fine to four years in prison.