Madrid CNN —
Spain's star striker Jennifer Hermoso testified in a Madrid court on Tuesday about an unwanted kiss from the country's former soccer coach Luis Rubiales after the national team's victory in the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The kiss was televised around the world as Spain's players lined up to receive their medals and congratulations from important politicians and football figures after their victory last August.
Rubiales, then president of the Spanish Football Federation, was seen kissing Hermoso on the lips and then patting her twice on the shoulder, sparking an immediate outcry in Spain and internationally for the approval.
Rubiales had described the kiss as “mutual” – a claim Hermoso denied, saying she did not consent and was disrespected.
Rubiales resigned as president of the federation last September after weeks of pressure and now faces possible prosecution over his alleged actions.
Investigating judge Francisco de Jorge will examine the evidence presented to the court to determine whether the case should be sent for trial.
Spanish prosecutors issued a statement after Tuesday's closed court hearing saying Hermoso had “confirmed what she had (previously) explained to prosecutors.”
“The kiss was unexpected and was never consensual. “After this incident, the situation of the victim, both on the return flight to Spain and during the stay in Ibiza, was a harassment by the people under investigation, which changed her normal life and led to a situation of unrest and sadness,” says it in the statement.
Outside court, Hermoso told reporters: “Everything went well” and she hoped the case would continue.
“And I thank you for the support you have shown me many times and for making sure everything is going well for you,” Hermoso said.
Rubiales faces two charges: alleged sexual assault and alleged coercion. He also allegedly later pressured Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual, a prosecutor at the national court told CNN in December.
According to the public prosecutor's office, three other men, including the former coach of the women's team and two other association officials, each have to answer in one case for alleged coercion.
Rubiales and the other three defendants each denied the allegations against them in previous statements before the judge in recent months, the court's prosecutors said in earlier statements after their respective hearings.
FIFA, soccer's world governing body, banned Rubiales from “all soccer-related activities” for three years in October, which he plans to appeal.