Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales maintains that forward Jenni Hermoso consented to a kiss he gave her at the 2023 Women's World Cup final. The trial continues with testimony from other defendants and experts.
Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales insisted before a judge on Tuesday that forward Jenni Hermoso had consented to a kiss he gave her at the 2023 Women's World Cup final presentation ceremony. Rubiales stands accused of sexual assault and coercion for allegedly attempting to minimize the incident, which sparked widespread outrage in Spain and overshadowed the team's historic first World Cup victory.
'I asked her if I could give her a little kiss and she said OK,' Rubiales stated. 'I'm totally sure.' However, Hermoso, on the first day of the trial last week, vehemently denied consenting to the kiss. The trial continued on Tuesday with testimony from three other defendants: former women's national team coach Jorge Vilda, the federation's former sports director of the men's national team, Albert Luque, and the former head of marketing, Ruben Rivera. All three are charged with coercion. An expert in lip reading also testified, analyzing videos showing Rubiales asking Hermoso, 'Can I give you a little kiss?' The court viewed various videos, including footage of Hermoso celebrating the victory and later discussing the kiss. 'Nobody expected it, but I don't care, we are world champions, that's what matters,' Hermoso said in audio recordings played in court from an interview she gave shortly after the final. 'I didn't like it, but all I can say is that it was part of the moment, it won't become anything more than that, it will go down as an anecdote,' she added. Hermoso further stated, 'Whoever wants to make a big deal about it will do it, and those who don't, won't,' after the reporter informed her about the significant discussion surrounding the kiss back in Spain. 'I'm very sure that it won't become a big deal, we are the champions.' The defense also presented a video of Rubiales addressing the squad, expressing his 'sadness' over the repercussions of the kiss. He apologized, stating that he 'felt bad' for tarnishing the celebrations. Notably, Hermoso appeared to be laughing in the video after Rubiales' words. The defense attempted to discredit the previous testimony of Hermoso's brother, who claimed that Vilda pressured Hermoso into recording a video with Rubiales to downplay the situation. They presented an interview with Hermoso's brother himself, downplaying the kiss. In his own testimony, Hermoso's brother had said that he minimized the kiss at the time to ensure the focus remained on the celebrations. Rubiales resigned under immense pressure three weeks after the scandal erupted and was subsequently banned by FIFA for three years. He had previously characterized himself as the victim of a 'witch hunt' by 'false feminists.' Hermoso testified that she 'felt disrespected' by Rubiales following their World Cup victory. She described the kiss as 'staining one of the happiest days of my life.' The incident ignited widespread outrage in Spain regarding the prevalence of sexism in sports and beyond. Prosecutors, Hermoso, and the Spain players' association are seeking a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Rubiales, a €50,000 fine for damages, and a lifetime ban from working as a sports official. They also seek a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the three other defendants
SEXUAL ASSAULT FOOTBALL SPAIN WORLD CUP LUIS RUBIALES JENNI HERMOSO TRIAL FIFA
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