Rabat – The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Spanish court Audiencia Nacional (AN) demanded a two-and-a-half-year prison for former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales on Wednesday, the Spanish sports daily AS reported on Wednesday.
This is related to the incident in which Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on her lips without her consent in August of last year, following the Spanish women national football team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup in Australia. Rubiales’ gesture sparked outrage in Spain and other countries.
As per AS, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested that Rubiales be barred from working in the sports industry for two years following his conviction. Additionally, it demands that he pay the player 50,000 euros.
According to Marta Durantez, the deputy prosecutor of the AN, Rubiales “held her head” with both hands and “kissed her on the lips” during the presentation of World Cup medals, which was “surprising and without consent or acceptance” of Jenni Hermoso.
For her part, Hermoso had earlier told the media that she felt “vulnerable as an assault victim” after receiving the kiss. She also described it in a statement on social media as “reckless, masculine, out of place, and without any kind of consent on my part.”
In addition, the Spanish athlete declared that Rubiales had coerced her into publicly defending him following the uproar that the kiss had sparked, a charge that prosecutors considered a crime of coercion. But Rubiales claimed that the kiss was consensual, promising to continue his defense.
Sexual assault is a broad term in Spanish law that includes a variety of acts, including rape and online abuse, each with an own set of sanctions. Non-consensual kissing carries a fine or a maximum sentence of four years in jail.
Rubiales is currently under investigation by the Court of Instruction Number 4 of the Spanish municipality Majadahonda, which is looking into a number of RFEF contracts related to the European Super Cup and the renovation of the La Cartuja stadium.
Read also: FIFA Bans Luis Rubiales from Football for 3 Years Over World Cup Kiss Scandal
