two and a half years in prison required against ex-Spanish football boss

The former president of the Spanish Football Federation is being prosecuted for “sexual assault” and the offense of “coercion” after having surprisedly kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth.

The prosecution requested, Wednesday March 27, two and a half years in prison against the former boss of Spanish football Luis Rubiales in the case of the forced kiss of the player Jenni Hermoso, according to his requisitions consulted by the AFP.

The former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is being prosecuted for “sexual assault” and the offense of “coercion” after having surprisedly kissed player Jenni Hermoso, number 10 of the Spanish women’s team, on the mouth, on August 20 in Sydney, a few minutes after the “Roja” coronation in the World Cup. This gesture provoked indignation in Spain and abroad, forcing him to resign on September 10, after saying he was the victim of an “disproportionate campaign”.

In Spain, the public prosecutor’s office makes its requests known in advance, before the trial. The date of the trial of Luis Rubiales and his three co-defendants is not yet known. According to its written requisitions, the prosecution requests one year in prison for the offense of sexual assault and a year and a half for the offense of coercion, Luis Rubiales being accused of having exerted pressure, direct and indirect, on Jenni Hermoso so that the player claims that the kiss was consensual.

The prosecution also requests that the former strongman of Spanish football be placed on probation for two years after serving his sentence and that he pay 50,000 euros in compensation to the player for the forced kiss.

A year and a half in prison required for three other accused

As for the three other defendants, the sentence requested against them is one and a half years in prison for the offense of “coercion”. They are Jorge Vilda, coach of the women’s national team at the time of the events, Rubén Rivera, former marketing director of the RFEF, and Albert Luque, at the time sports director of the men’s national team.

Since the reform of the Spanish Penal Code, a non-consensual kiss is considered in Spain as “sexual assault”, a criminal category bringing together all types of sexual violence.

Fifa announced on October 30 its suspension for three years from all football-related activities, after having initially suspended it provisionally for 90 days. This three-year suspension was confirmed in January by Fifa.