The Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso, forcibly kissed by the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales after the coronation of La Roja during the Women’s Football World Cup, has filed a complaint, Agence France has learned -Press, Wednesday, September 6, with the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Spanish State.
The filing of this complaint was an essential condition for the prosecution, which had opened a preliminary investigation against Luis Rubiales at the end of August for “sexual assault”, to be able to prosecute. These will now be able to be launched “as quickly as possible”, said the prosecution.
Since a recent reform of the Spanish Penal Code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a criminal category bringing together all types of sexual violence.
On Tuesday, the RFEF presented “its apologies to the world of football and to society as a whole” for the behavior of Luis Rubiales, suspended by the International Football Federation (FIFA). On the same day, the coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, close to Luis Rubiales and whose methods are criticized by his players, paid the price for the internal restructuring of the federation and was fired.
A procedure also underway in Spain
Players of the Spanish men’s football team also showed their solidarity with the women’s team earlier this week, criticizing the “unacceptable behavior” of Mr. Rubiales. Pushed from all sides to resign because of his actions, the latter announced that he would remain in his position during a resounding speech, during which he declared that he was not going to leave “because of a small kiss consented”, and had denounced a lawsuit brought by “false feminism”.
This August 25 speech was applauded by almost the entire RFEF general assembly, including the coaches of the women’s and men’s teams. The latter, Luis de la Fuente, later apologized for clapping. The same evening, the twenty-three players of the female Roja, crowned world champions on August 20, announced that they refused to be called up for the selection as long as there would be no change at the head of the federation.
FIFA, which opened a disciplinary investigation against Luis Rubiales, suspended him the next day for ninety days “from any football-related activity at national and international level” pending the progress of proceedings in course. A procedure is also underway in Spain, with the Administrative Court of Sport, to which the government has written to demand the provisional suspension of Rubiales.