Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales, would be tried on Monday over the forced kiss he gave Jenni Hermoso with the player scheduled to take the stand.
Rubiales, went viral, as he provoked worldwide outrage after he cupped Hermoso’s head and gave her an unsolicited kiss after Spain beat England to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia.
According to local reports, Prosecutors are seeking two and a half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault for the forced kiss and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso, to downplay the incident.
The kiss was given “unexpectedly and without the consent or acceptance of the player”, prosecutors wrote in their indictment.
“Constant and repeated pressure was exerted directly on the player Jennifer Hermoso and through her family and friends with the aim of justifying and publicly approving the kiss that Luis Rubiales gave her against her will,” it added.
The highly anticipated trial gets underway at the National Court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid and is expected to run until February 19, with Rubiales scheduled to take the stand on February 12.
Among the accused alongside Rubiales are ex-women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and two former federation officials, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque, as they also stand accused of trying to coerce Hermoso with prosecutors seeking 18 months’ jail against them.
