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MADRID – A Spanish player who was kissed on the lips by a soccer president during the Women’s World Cup final appeared in court on Tuesday to testify in a sexual assault case against a former official.
After Spain beat England in the final in Sydney in August, Jenni Hermoso had her own way of kissing Luis Rubiales in a Madrid court.
“Everything went well,” Hermoso told reporters afterward. “The judicial process will continue. Thank you for all the support you have given me.”
The incident sparked outrage across the football world and sparked one of the worst crises in Spanish football history. It also led to a boycott of the national team by World Cup winners and ultimately led to Rubiales’ resignation, despite denying any wrongdoing and insisting the kiss was consensual.
Hermoso is expected to repeat her claim in court that the kiss was unwanted, and Rubiales and her staff pressure her and her family to downplay the incident, which tarnished Spain’s first Women’s World Cup title. I tried to put it on.
Testimony was held behind closed doors. According to Spanish media, Hermoso asked the judge to keep the court appearance as private as possible. She arrived wearing a gray coat, waved to journalists and entered the courtroom through one of the front doors with her lawyers.
Spanish state prosecutors accused Mr. Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion, saying he tried to persuade Mr. Hermoso and his relatives to publicly downplay the kiss.
The judge will also hear testimony from other World Cup winners, coaches and federation officials before deciding whether to start a trial.
Rubiales previously denied wrongdoing to a judge who issued a restraining order preventing him from contacting Hermoso.
Hermoso, 33, who is Spain’s women’s team’s record scorer, said she received threats in the aftermath of the kiss last year, although she did not give details.
Hermoso became a bit of a celebrity in Spain after condemning the kiss and coming forward to promote the Me Too movement in the country. She called for a more equal 2024 as one of the New Year’s Eve hosts on public television on Saturday.
The boycott of the national team ended last year after the players were given guarantees of change within the federation following intervention from government officials.
Madrid prosecutors said Rubiales could face a fine or one to four years in prison if convicted under a sexual consent law passed last year. The new law abolished the distinction between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault” and sanctioned non-consensual sexual acts.
FIFA has suspended Rubiales for three years, until the end of the 2026 Men’s World Cup. His suspension will expire before the next women’s tournament in 2027.
He resigned as federation president and UEFA vice-president on September 10 amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and players in Spain. The next day, UEFA expressed their gratitude for Rubiales’ contribution.
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