Court announced judgment
Kiss sign at World Cup: Chairman of the association is punished
Updated on February 20, 2025 – 1:52 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
At the Women’s World Cup, the Spanish leader of the association kissed a player without being asked. The case went to court. Now there is a judgment.
Former Spanish football association chief Luis Rubiales was sentenced to a fine of 10,800 euros for a sexual assault at the award ceremony of the 2023 women’s World Cup. The National Court of Justice announced the decision on Thursday. The 47-year-old, like the other three defendants, was acquitted of the accusation of coercion.
Rubiales had grabbed international Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup triumph with both hands on the head and kissed her on her mouth. The scene, which was transferred worldwide on television, triggered outrage. Since a reform of Spanish criminal law, a non -mutually acceptable kiss has been a sexual assault. The prosecutor Marta Durántz Gil had asked for two and a half years in prison for the ex-president.
According to the player, the kiss on the mouth of the world champion Hermoso, which is at the center of the procedure, was undoubtedly “not mutual”. Rubial self had claimed that he was “absolutely certain” that Hermoso agreed to the kiss on her lips at the time. He asked Hermoso “whether I can give you a kiss and she said ‘Okay’,” said Rubiales: “That’s how it was”.
A lip reader named Abel Banos said in the court that ruby hermin had actually asked for permission (read more about the statements here). “He said, ‘May I give you a kiss?’ There is no doubt about that, “said Banos. Hermoso’s answer was not recognizable on the video made available to him.
Hermoso contradicted the representation of rubyers. She explained: “As a woman, I didn’t feel respected. This moment clouded one of the happiest days of my life.” The 34-year-old stated that a “kiss on the lips” was only given if “I decide it”.