Spain’s High Court has ruled that former football federation president Luis Rubiales was guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent. The court imposed a fine exceeding 10,000 euros but cleared him of coercion charges.
Prosecutors had sought a prison term for Rubiales in a case that ignited discussions on sexism within women’s football and Spanish society at large.
“The ruling bans Rubiales from going within a 200-metre radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year,” the court stated.
The 47-year-old former football chief faced allegations of sexual assault for kissing Hermoso on the lips during the 2023 World Cup awards ceremony in Sydney. He was also accused, alongside three other former football federation officials, of trying to pressure her into claiming the kiss was consensual.
