Trial of the ex -head of Spain, Luis Rubiales, Over Forced Kiss to start – Firstpost

The former head of Spanish football, Luis Rubiales, is tried on Monday about the forced kiss that he gave to the star Jenni Hermoso with the player planned to take a stand.

The 47 -year -old man caused global indignation after hearing hermoso’s head and gave him an unsolicited kiss after Spain beat England to win the 2023 women’s world cup in Australia.

Rubials could take a prison sentence for more than two years

Prosecutors are looking for two and a half years in prison for Rubials, a year for sexual assault for the forced kiss and 18 months for having allegedly forced Hermoso, 34, to minimize the incident.

The kiss was given “unexpectedly and without the consent or acceptance of the player”, wrote the prosecutors in their indictment.

“Constant and repeated pressure was exercised directly on the player Jennifer Hermoso and through her family and friends in order to justify and publicly approve the kiss that Luis Rubiales gave him against his will,” He added.

The highly anticipated trial begins at the National Court of San Fernando de Henares near Madrid at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) and is expected to take place until February 19.

Rubials should take the position on February 12. He called the kiss a “peak between friends to celebrate” and denied any coercion.

Among the accused alongside Rubials are the coach of the national team of the former women Jorge Vilda and two former officials of the Federation, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque.

They are also accused of having tried to force hermoso with prosecutors looking for 18 months in prison against them.

Historical success has overshadowed

The scandal that rocked Spanish football and destroyed the career of Rubials broke out on August 20, 2023, a few moments after the women’s national team won the glory of the World Cup in Sydney.

While Hermoso joined his teammates to collect the medals of their winner, Rubiales sank his head and kissed her on the lips before letting her go with two slaps to the back.

The law sparked public outcry on what criticisms have judged an abuse of power. A recent reform of the Spanish penal code ranks a non -consensual kiss as sexual assault.

Rubiales, which was already the subject of an investigation for an alleged corruption in his role as head of the Federation, finally gave in to pressure and resigned in September 2023, two days after the start of a probe on the kiss . He had been head of the Federation since 2018.

In a recent Netflix documentary entitled “SE ACABO” (“It’s over”), which looks at the anger of the players after the scandal eclipsed their historical success, Hermoso revealed that she had shouted after the kiss.

Hermoso, the top scorer of all time of the national female team who is now playing in Mexico, said in the documentary that the federation demanded that it appear in a video where it claimed that the kiss of rubials “was nothing , it was … Joy, Euphoria “.