The Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso, forcibly kissed by the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales after the coronation of La Roja during the Women’s Football World Cup, has filed a complaint, Agence France has learned -Press, Wednesday September 6, at the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Spanish State.
The filing of this complaint was an essential condition for the prosecution, which had opened a preliminary investigation against Luis Rubiales at the end of August for “sexual assault”, to be able to prosecute. These will now be able to be launched ” as quickly as possible “said the prosecution.
In charge of the investigation because it is competent when the facts take place abroad, the court of the National Audience will then have to hear Luis Rubiales and Jennifer Hermoso.
Since a recent reform of the Spanish Penal Code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered as sexual assault, a criminal category grouping together any type of sexual violence. The penalties incurred range from a fine to four years in prison, said a spokeswoman for the prosecution.
On Tuesday, the RFEF had presented “his apologies to the world of football and to society as a whole” for the behavior of Luis Rubiales, suspended by the International Football Federation (FIFA). On the same day, the coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, close to Luis Rubiales and whose methods are criticized by his players, paid the price for the internal restructuring of the federation and was sacked.
A procedure also underway in Spain
The players of the Spanish men’s football team also showed their solidarity with the women’s team earlier this week, castigating the “unacceptable behavior” by M. Rubiales. Pushed from all sides to resign because of his gesture, the latter had announced that he would remain in office during a sensational speech, during which he had declared that he was not going to leave. “because of a little consented kiss”and had denounced a lawsuit brought by a “false feminism”.
This speech of August 25 was applauded by almost all of the general assembly of the RFEF, including the coaches of the women’s and men’s teams. The latter, Luis de la Fuente, then apologized for applauding. The same evening, the twenty-three players of the female Roja, crowned world champions on August 20, announced that they refused to be called up for the selection as long as there would be no change at the head of the federation.
FIFA, which opened a disciplinary investigation against Luis Rubiales, suspended him the next day for ninety days “of any football-related activity at national and international level” pending the progress of the procedures in progress. A procedure is also underway in Spain, with the Administrative Court of Sport, to which the government has written to demand the provisional suspension of Rubiales.