The saga of the infamous kiss from the Women’s World Cup final between Jenni Hermoso and Luis Rubailes is still making headlines. Spain may have made history in last year’s final by winning their maiden Women’s World Cup, but it was marred by what happened during the celebratory aftermath.
The kiss has since garnered much negative attention worldwide, especially in Spain, where Hermoso has since gained support as she claims the kiss was forced on her by the President of the Spanish FA, Luis Rubiales. And now the saga has even reached the legal stage.
Jenni Hermoso gives testimony in court
According to the BBC, Jenni Hermoso has given her testimony in court in an investigation over the non-consensual kiss by Luis Rubiales on her. Rubiales had already been forced to resign from his position as president of the Spanish FA and was also banned by FIFA for three years. He had previously defended himself by saying it was consensual, but Hermoso came out saying that it was not and that is was forced on her without any prior permission.
The forward had filed a case against the former president and he was duly charged by a state prosecutor for sexual harassment and his alleged attempt to silence her as well. On Tuesday, she gave her testimony to a judge in a Madrid court. After that, she spoke to the media outside and said, “It’s gone well. It’s all in the hands of justice now.”
She also said, “I felt vulnerable and the victim of an aggression, an impulsive, sexist act, out of place and without any consent on my part. Simply put, I was not respected.”
If Rubiales is found guilty of the allegations levied against him, he can face a potential prison sentence of up to 4 years. He has promised to challenge the case against him.
What happened between Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso?
The Spanish women’s team had just created history on August 20, 2023, by winning 1-0 in the World Cup final against England. After that, the players were lining up for the medal handout, and when Jenni Hermoso was passing by Luis Rubiales, he grabbed her and kissed her as well. At the time, many believed it was consensual, as both seemed to be smiling.
But only a few days later, Hermoso would confirm that it was non-consensual. After that, fans and players all over the world, including her own teammates decided to support her. The women’s team boycotted all further matches until both the manager Jorge Vilda and president were forced to leave. Rubiales was then given a restraining order and banned by FIFA from all soccer activities for three years
Rubiales has claimed innocence since then and has expressed confidence that justice will support him. He has also decided to challenge both the FIFA ban and the court case. Jenni Hermoso will also hope that the court decides to rule in her favor to make sure women’s rights are upheld in the country. It is unknown when the conclusion of the legal proceedings will be finished, but fans will patiently await the final verdict.
Who do you think is at fault here? Tell us in the comments section.
