Spain: Trial begins against Luis Rubiales for kissing Jenni Hermoso

The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and former vice president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Luis Rubiales, will begin trial Monday for the kiss he gave Jenni Hermoso, a player for the Spanish women's national soccer team, after winning the women's World Cup in 2023.

Rubiales faces a maximum prison sentence of two and a half years. The Spanish prosecutor's office is asking for the defendant one year for a sexual assault offense and a year and a half for coercion offenses.

The "non-consensual kiss" given by Rubiales to Hermoso, as interpreted by both the complainant and the prosecution, is classified as sexual assault in the Spanish Penal Code.

The Supreme Court, Spain's highest judicial court, reformed the criminalization of "a kiss without express or tacit consent" in June 2024, elevating it to the crime of sexual assault. Jorge Vilda, former technical director of the women's national team, and Albert Luque and Rubén Rivera, former RFEF officials, are also being investigated for coercion offenses.

From Rubiales' kiss to Hermoso's taunts

It all began on Aug. 23, 2023 in Sydney, Australia, while the women's national team was celebrating its World Cup victory. When the players were celebrating the title on the podium, Rubiales approached Hermoso and, after saying a few words to her, he kissed the complainant on the mouth. Apparently, everything remained a simple gesture typical of the euphoria of the moment. However, the controversy began soon after.

From Spain, but also from other countries, reactions and criticisms against Rubiales began to arrive. Especially from those who claim to promote feminism. The response from the former president of the RFEF was clear: it was "a consensual kiss between friends." But the public condemnations against his person not only continued, but also expanded. But he was forced to submit his resignation and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) disqualified him.

Hermoso, after hearing the statements from Rubiales saying that she is the target of the attacks of a "false feminism," decided to issue a statement assuring to be "victim of an aggression, an impulsive, 'machista' act that was out of place and without any kind of consent."

Days later, the player lost some credibility after a video was leaked of her along with some of her national teammates in which they are seen watching a video of the kiss and making fun of each other.

Her response was to file a complaint against Rubiales for sexual assault and another against the former president of the RFEF, Luque, Rivera and Vilda for crimes of coercion, since, she alleges, they forced her to record a video saying that the kiss was consensual.