It was with obvious relief that Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso briefly spoke to the journalists who were waiting for her at the exit of the National Court in Madrid on Tuesday January 2. “Everything is now in the hands of justice, that’s all I can say”declared the world champion, adding succinctly that “everything went well”.
Jenni Hermoso, forcibly kissed by the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, a few minutes after the world coronation of the women’s “Roja” in Sydney, on August 20, was heard by the judge Francisco de Jorge, who has been handling the case since the beginning of September. The appearance lasted almost three hours.
According to the Spanish press, which cites judicial sources, the player reiterated that the kiss had not been “at no time agreed” and confirmed to have been a victim of ” harassment “ on the part of Mr. Rubiales and his entourage, in particular the three others charged in the scandal: Jorge Vilda, former coach of the women’s national team; Albert Luque, director of the men’s national team; and Rubén Rivera, RFEF Marketing Manager. Pressures that would have “disrupted his normal life, causing him a situation of uneasiness and sadness”.
Reform of the Spanish penal code
A few days after the incident in Sydney, the federation issued a press release according to which Mme Hermoso would have spoken of a “mutual and spontaneous gesture » and affirmed that she maintained a “excellent relationship” with Mr. Rubiales. “We cannot dwell more on a gesture of friendship and gratitude. We won a World Cup and we are not going to stray from the basics,” would have said the world champion, who has since formally denied these remarks.
“The RFEF put pressure on those around me (family, friends, teammates, etc.) to give testimony that had nothing to do with my feelings, the attacker said shortly after at a press conference. Such attitudes have been part of the daily life of our national team for years. »
Charged with “sexual assault” and the offense of “coercion” for the alleged pressure on Jenni Hermoso, Luis Rubiales was already heard in September 2023 by the judge. He has since been banned from coming within two hundred meters of the player. Since a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a criminal category bringing together all types of sexual violence. According to the prosecution, the penalties incurred by Mr. Rubiales range from a fine to four years in prison.
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