Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half year jail term for former football chief Luis Rubiales, who is facing trial for sexual assault and coercion charges. Rubiales is accused of forcibly kissing Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent after Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup final in Australia on August 20. The incident, which was captured live on camera, sparked widespread outrage and led to Rubiales’ suspension by FIFA.
According to court documents, prosecutors are also demanding that Rubiales pay at least 50,000 euros ($54,000) in compensation to Hermoso. They allege that Rubiales held Hermoso’s head in both hands and kissed her against her will. The prosecutors further claim that Rubiales and his entourage exerted “constant pressure” on Hermoso to publicly justify the kiss as consensual, causing her anxiety and intense stress for several months.
In addition to Rubiales, three of his former associates are also being tried for allegedly putting pressure on Hermoso. They include former women’s coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team director Albert Luque, and Ruben Rivera, marketing boss at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Hermoso filed a lawsuit against Rubiales in September, stating that she had faced pressure to defend him during the team’s return flight from Australia and a subsequent holiday in Ibiza. She has requested a restraining order against Rubiales, prohibiting him from coming within 200 meters (656 feet) of her and from communicating with her for the next seven-and-a-half years.
If convicted and sentenced as requested by the prosecutor, Rubiales may not necessarily serve jail time. Spain’s criminal code allows judges to suspend jail terms if none of the individual sentences imposed exceed two years, as is the case here.
It is worth noting that Rubiales is also implicated in a separate corruption probe that recently shook the RFEF. Last week, police conducted searches at the federation’s headquarters and an apartment belonging to Rubiales, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals. The investigation is examining whether Rubiales committed a crime of improper management when the RFEF agreed to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia in collaboration with Gerard Pique’s Kosmos firm.
