Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), is set to stand trial for forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, as ruled by a Spanish high court judge.
According to a statement from the court detailing the allegations, Rubiales will face trial for the non-consensual kissing of Spanish national team player Jennifer Hermoso at the conclusion of the World Cup final in Sydney on August 20, 2023. Additionally, he will be tried for allegedly pressuring Hermoso into publicly stating that the kiss was consensual.
The trial will take place at the Audiencia Nacional, a Madrid court that handles complex cases. The date for the trial is yet to be determined, as stated by Judge Francisco de Jorge in the court document.
The public prosecution has requested a sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison for Luis Rubiales, consisting of one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion. Additionally, the prosecution seeks a two-year probationary period after the completion of the sentence, along with a compensation payment of 54,000 dollars to the player.
Judge De Jorge has instructed Luis Rubiales to post bail of $70,000 within 24 hours to cover any potential civil liabilities that may arise.
Furthermore, the judge confirmed that former La Roja women’s coach Jorge Vilda and two former federation officials would also stand trial for allegedly coercing Hermoso.
Rubiales, 46, sparked global outrage by kissing Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony following Spain’s victory over England in the World Cup final in Australia last year.
In addition to the pending trial for the World Cup kiss incident, Rubiales is under investigation in a separate corruption case related to his tenure at the federation. Despite the allegations, he has maintained his innocence.
