The trial of Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso wrapped up Friday, with a verdict expected in several weeks.
Rubiales is accused of sexual assault for kissing Hermoso in 2023 following Spain’s triumph at the women’s World Cup in Australia, as well as coercion for allegedly trying to convince the player to downplay the incident afterwards.
The global outcry over the kiss forced Rubiales to resign in disgrace and thrust the spotlight on the prevalence of macho culture and sexism in sport.
Hermoso, 34, says she did not consent to the kiss while Rubiales, 47, denies wrongdoing and argues it was consensual.
“With this, believe it or not, we are done,” judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto told the court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid after Rubiales and the three other accused declined their right to make a final statement.
Prosecutors are seeking two-and-a-half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault and 18 months for the coercion of Hermoso.
Among the accused alongside Rubiales are ex-women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and two former federation officials.
They also stand accused of trying to coerce Hermoso with prosecutors seeking 18 months’ jail for them.
– ‘Made a mistake’ –
Video footage of the scandal that rocked Spanish football shows Rubiales clasping Hermoso’s head at the World Cup medal ceremony and kissing her on the lips before letting her go with two slaps on the back.
Hermoso told the opening day of the trial she felt “disrespected” after a non-consensual kiss that “should not happen in any social or work setting”.
Her teammates have described under oath how she cried and felt “overwhelmed” following the incident, while her brother Rafael Hermoso has said she came under pressure to downplay the affair to protect the federation chief.
Rubiales told the court on Tuesday he was “totally sure” Hermoso consented to the kiss which was broadcast live around the world, and denied he had put pressure on her after the incident.
“She squeezed me very tightly under my armpits, she lifted me, and when I came down I asked her if I can give you a kiss, and she said ‘OK’, that’s what happened,” he said, describing the kiss as “an act of affection”.
Rubiales conceded he “made a mistake” on the podium and his behaviour “was not appropriate”, saying he should have “been in a more institutional role”, but denied any offence had been committed.
While his behaviour was “inappropriate” it was not “criminal”, his lawyer Ogla Tabau said during her closing arguments, calling the kiss an “expression of uncontrollable joy”.
Video images of Hermoso celebrating and drinking champagne with her teammates in the changing room shortly after the incident prove the player was not upset by the kiss, she added.
– ‘Entitled to celebrate’ –
Public prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil rejected this argument on Wednesday during her closing arguments in which she also said there is “no doubt” the kiss was “non-consensual”.
“How long are we going to keep demanding heroic behaviour from the victim of a sexual assault? Wasn’t she entitled to celebrate such a sporting triumph?” she asked.
Rubiales’ stance on the stand contrasted with the defiance he displayed when the scandal broke.
During an emergency federation meeting in August 2023, he minimised the importance of the kiss and defied calls for his resignation, railing against “false feminism”.
Rubiales resigned in September that year after FIFA suspended him and Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation into alleged sexual assault. He had been federation chief since 2018.
Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the Spain women’s team who now plays for Mexican side Tigres, was not called up immediately after the World Cup, with new coach Montse Tome saying she wanted to protect the player.
