MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso on Thursday for kissing her after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
He escaped prison time but was fined more than 10,000 euros ($10,400) in Spain's National Court. He was also ordered not to get within 200 meters of Hermoso or communicate with her for a year.
Rubiales can appeal the court ruling.
He was cleared of the charge of coercion for trying to downplay the kiss on the lips of Hermoso during the awards ceremony after the final in Sydney. The kiss sparked outrage in Spain and marred the celebrations of Spain’s first Women's World Cup title.
During the high-profile trial that lasted about two weeks, Rubiales said Hermoso consented to the kiss but she denied it.
Prosecutors asked for a prison sentence of 2 1/2 years for Rubiales, being one year for sexual assault and 1 1/2 years for coercion. They wanted the other three defendants accused of coercion to be sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison.
The three other former Spanish federation members accused of coercion — former women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, sports director of the men’s team Albert Luque, and head of marketing Ruben Rivera — also were cleared.
Hermoso testified that she “felt disrespected” by Rubiales after winning the World Cup. She said she was pressured into recording a video with Rubiales, then the federation president, to downplay the kiss.
Rubiales and the other defendants said they never tried to pressure Hermoso into doing anything. They claimed she didn't give any importance to the kiss when it happened.
Rubiales resigned under pressure three weeks after the scandal surfaced and was banned by FIFA for three years. He had said he was the victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
During his testimony he said he regretted the kiss because it wasn't the right attitude for a national federation president. He said it should not be considered sexual assault, though.
The kiss prompted widespread outrage in society beyond soccer, and ignited one of the most embarrassing scandals in the history of Spanish soccer.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
