By Kwame Bediako
Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting forward Jenni Hermoso following the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. The High Court in Spain has ordered Rubiales to pay a fine of €10,800 and has banned him from being within 200 meters of Hermoso or communicating with her for the next year. Rubiales, avoided a prison term but faces significant consequences for his actions.
The incident in question occurred during the awards ceremony following the World Cup final in August 2023. Rubiales grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her, which was widely condemned by fans and professionals in the football community. Hermoso later stated that the kiss was not consensual and that the act had deeply disturbed her. This moment sparked outrage and led to calls for Rubiales’s resignation, which he eventually submitted in September 2023.
Rubiales maintained that Hermoso had given her consent for the kisses, but Hermoso and her representatives argued that the interaction was non-consensual and left her traumatised. Prosecutor María García-Caro had originally sought a prison sentence for Rubiales, accusing him of attempting to coerce Hermoso into claiming the kisses were consensual. However, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support a prison term.
In addition to Rubiales, three of his former colleagues, Jorge Vilda, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque were also put on trial for allegedly colluding in the attempted coercion of Hermoso. However, they were all cleared of the charges, leaving Rubiales as the sole defendant convicted in the case.
The ruling marks a turning point in the ongoing controversy surrounding Rubiales’ behaviour. While he has been banned from all football-related activities for three years by FIFA, some supporters have continued to rally behind him, citing his long-standing contributions to Spanish football.
