Former president of the Spanish soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, was found guilty on Thursday of sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso by kissing her after the conclusion of the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. This incident overshadowed Spain’s historic achievement of winning its first world title in women’s soccer and ignited discussions surrounding sexism within the sport.
A judge at Spain’s National Court has mandated that Rubiales pay fines exceeding 10,000 euros (around $10,400) and prohibited him from being within 200 meters of Hermoso or initiating communication with her for a year. Although prosecutors sought a prison sentence for him, Rubiales was acquitted of a coercion charge related to claims that he pressured Hermoso to downplay the kiss during the post-match awards ceremony in Sydney.
Reports from Spanish media indicate that Rubiales, who stepped down from his position in the soccer federation three weeks after the incident, intends to appeal the court ruling, which was delivered as a written statement without conducting a formal hearing.
Following the verdict, Spain’s equality minister, Ana Redondo, stated, “A kiss without consent is sexual assault. The words of the victim must be respected.” The kiss controversy triggered an immense backlash within Spain and tainted the excitement surrounding the national team’s first Women’s World Cup victory.
In her evidence presented during the high-profile trial, Hermoso, aged 34, recounted feeling disrespected and indicated that the kiss had “stained one of the happiest days of my life.” Conversely, 47-year-old Rubiales maintained that the kiss was consensual, with his legal representatives contending that even if it hadn’t been consensual, it should not be considered sexual assault.
Prosecutors had previously requested a sentence of two and a half years for Rubiales, comprising one year for the sexual assault charge and an additional year and a half for the coercion claim. Furthermore, the court acquitted three other former members of the Spanish soccer federation who faced similar coercion allegations: ex-women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team sports director Albert Luque, and marketing head Ruben Rivera.
Hermoso testified that she felt pressured to produce a video with Rubiales aimed at downplaying the nature of the kiss. Rubiales and his co-defendants argued that they never coerced Hermoso and claimed she did not treat the kiss as significant at the time it occurred.
The incident led to a crisis within the women’s national team, with Hermoso and her teammates refusing to participate in matches as long as Rubiales remained in his position. They only returned to the squad after the government facilitated negotiations with the interim president of the federation to reform policies and enhance support for the women’s team, which notably included removing the word “women’s” from the team title.
Initially, Rubiales asserted that he had acted appropriately and labeled the backlash as a witch hunt fueled by “false feminists.” However, he resigned shortly after FIFA suspended him and commenced a disciplinary investigation. During his testimony, he expressed regret over the kiss, acknowledging it was not suitable behavior for someone in his position, but he maintained that it should not be categorized as sexual assault.
