World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, who was forcibly kissed by former Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales, reiterated in court on Tuesday that the kiss was “at no time consented to” and that she had been subjected to intense pressure.
• Also read: Forced kiss on a player: FIFA publishes witness statements against Rubiales
• Also read: Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been banned for three years for forcing a kiss at the World Cup
The international, who has just signed with Mexican club Tigres Femenil, arrived at the National Court in Madrid shortly before 10:00 a.m. (0900 GMT) wearing a long gray coat. Smiling, she waved briefly to the press gathered in front of the building without making a statement.
The highly anticipated hearing for Hermoso, who filed suit against Rubiales in September, originally scheduled for November 28, has been postponed for scheduling reasons.
AFP
According to a judicial source, the player reiterated in the judge's office that this kiss was “at no time consented to.”
She also stated that after the world title in Sydney she was the victim of “harassment” by Rubiales and his entourage, which “changed her life and created a situation of unrest and sadness,” this source added.
Luis Rubiales was heard by the judge back in September on charges of “sexual assault” and “coercion” for allegedly pressuring Hermoso. Since then he has been banned from getting closer than 200 meters to the player.
Three other people, including former La Roja women's coach Jorge Vilda, were also charged by the investigating judge in this case.
Since a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a crime category that includes all types of sexual violence. According to prosecutors, penalties imposed on Rubiales range from a fine to four years in prison.
AFP
On August 20, a few minutes after the women's World Cup victory “Roja” in Sydney, the 46-year-old Spanish football coach surprised the attacker with a kiss on the mouth, sparking outrage in Spain and across the country.
He refused to resign over a “little consensual kiss”, and in a blistering speech five days later attacked alleged “fake feminism” and argued he had sought the player's permission before kissing her.
A version disputed by Jenni Hermoso, who said she felt “vulnerable and victim (…) of an impulsive and sexist act, inappropriate and without any consent on her part.”
Under pressure, Rubiales eventually resigned on September 10, saying he had been the victim of a “disproportionate campaign.” He has since been suspended from all football-related activities by FIFA for three years, which he will appeal.
Jenni Hermoso, 33, has unwillingly become a global symbol of the fight for gender equality. She was chosen Woman of the Year 2023 by the Spanish edition of the prestigious American magazine GQ.