The former Spanish leader Luis Rubiales rejected the allegations against him in the trial for the scandal at the award ceremony of the 2023 women’s World Cup. He was “absolutely certain” that international Jennifer Hermoso had agreed to the kiss on her lips, Rubiales said in court.
He asked Hermoso at the award ceremony after the final that Spain won against England, “whether I can give you a kiss and she said ‘okay “. So it was“, said Rubiales on Tuesday in his highly expected statement in front of the State Court in Madrid.
Rubiales repeated his representation of an amicable kiss. At first nothing indicated that Hermoso had a problem with the kiss, said Rubiales: “It only changed her story two days later.“
Rubial spoke of a “Act of affection“. The 47-year-old admitted that he was on the podium”made a mistake“Having and that his behavior was not appropriate, he should” have played a more institutional role “. However, Rubiales denied that he had committed a criminal offense.
Lip reader as part of Rubiales’ Defense strategy
Previously, the defense had ordered an expert and a trained lip reader on Tuesday to underpin the representation of ruby. The lip reader has a “TIKTOK video of good quality“Analyzed and realized that ruby hermoso actually asked for the kiss.”He said, ‘May I give you a kiss?’ There is no doubt about that“According to the statement in court. However, the response from Hermoso cannot be seen on the video provided to him.
At the start of the trial, Hermoso had asserted that the kiss had no mutual mutual mutual agreement. A “Kiss on the lips is only given if I decide it that way“, said the 34-year-old.
Process for sexual assault and coercion
The 47 -year -old rubyer has to answer for sexual assault and coercion in court. At the award ceremony after the World Cup final in August 2023, he had packed the player Hermoso with both hands in front of the cameras in front of running cameras and under the eyes of millions of television viewers and kissed them on his mouth. The scene, which was transferred worldwide on television, triggered outrage, and critics considered them as abuse of power.
Since a reform of Spanish criminal law, a non -mutually acceptable kiss has been a sexual assault. Rubiales is also charged with coercion because he is said to have urged Hermoso to join his representative kiss. The public prosecutor calls for a prison sentence of two and a half years for ruby. Three other men are accused of. The hearing runs until February 19. The judgment is expected a few days or weeks later.