A high court judge also says three men who pressured Jenni Hermoso to absolve Luis Rubiales — by acting together in an attempt “to break the will” of the star forward — could also face charges.
It was Jenni Hermoso’s moment, as she stood at the pinnacle of her sport. But the head of Spain’s soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, then forcibly kissed Hermoso on the lips during last year’s Women’s World Cup gold medal ceremony, sparking outrage and leading to Rubiales being banned from the sport.
A Spanish judge is now proposing that Rubiales be tried in criminal court. He also says three men who repeatedly pressured Hermoso to absolve Rubiales of any blame — by allegedly acting together in an attempt “to break the will” of the star forward — could also face related charges. The group includes Jorge Vilda, Hermoso’s former coach on Spain’s women’s national team.
Judge Francisco de Jorge of Spain’s Audiencia Nacional, a central high court with sweeping jurisdiction, found that Rubiales’ kiss in Sydney, Australia, last August was not consensual, according to a news release from the court on Thursday.
The veteran player was taken aback and initially tried to brush off the incident, the judge said. But she became increasingly uncomfortable with what had happened, and her unease was magnified by persistent pressure to make a video saying that the kiss had been consensual, the judge said.
