The trial date has been set for the former president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, who will stand trial on 3 February 2025 for giving footballer Jenni Hermoso an unwanted kiss after she won the Women's World Cup in Sydney, Australia, on 20 August 2023.
The former president of Spanish football, the Canarian Luis Rubiales, will be on trial from 3-19 February 2025 for kissing Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent (according to the footballer who filed the complaint and subsequent lawsuit).
A court had ruled that Rubiales should be tried for sexual assault and coercion for the kiss he gave Hermoso during the medal ceremony after Spain beat England to win the first title in women's football history (they have another world title in men's football after winning in South Africa in 2010).
The trial will be conducted by the Central Criminal Court of the National Court and is expected to last around 11 working days. Rubiales will be joined in the dock by three other members of his team: former women's national team coach Jorge Vilda, former RFEF sporting director Albert Luque and former head of marketing Rubén Rivera.
Rubiales is accused of one count of sexual assault and another of coercion, which he shares with the other defendants.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has requested two and a half years in prison for the former RFEF president, one year for the kiss and another year and a half for the subsequent coercion. The charge of coercion is shared with the other three defendants.
As an additional penalty, the Public Prosecutor's Office ordered Rubiales and his team to pay 100,000 euros in compensation to the footballer. Half of the amount is for the sexual assault and the other half, to be paid jointly by the four accused, is for coercion.
In addition, the Public Prosecutor's Office has requested that the four defendants be banned from communicating with Hermoso and from coming within 200 metres of her for seven and a half years in the case of the former president and four years in the case of Luque, Vilda and Rivera.
The four defendants were also asked to be banned from working in the sports sector for the duration of their sentences, should they be found guilty by the court.
The procedural order issued by the clerk of the Central Criminal Court states that the hearing will be held at the headquarters of San Fernando de Henares (Madrid) from 3 to 6, 10 to 13 and 17 to 19 February, starting at 10am.
Rubiales has another ongoing legal case due to his actions as head of Spanish football (2018-2023). This case is before a court in Majadahonda (Madrid), where he is being investigated for alleged irregularities in the RFEF during his tenure, as part of Operation Brodie against corruption.
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