Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales could be jailed for 4-years if found guilty of sexual assault after World Cup star Jenni Hermoso filed a formal complaint against him on Wednesday, September 6.
Rubiales was pictured kissing Hermoso on the lips as she went to collect her medal after Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time last month.
Hermoso claimed afterwards that she ‘did not enjoy’ the kiss and that it was non-consensual, and has now made a complaint to the National Court Prosecutor’s Office.
A non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault in Spain, and carries a prison sentence of one to four years.
However, a judge can downgrade the punishment if they see fit and instead hand down a fine, meaning if Rubiales is charged and found guilty he could escape jail time.
Following Hermoso’s complaint, the court now has two months to decide whether to proceed with the case or not.
If they accept the case, Hermoso and Rubiales will both be called to testify.
Hermoso will give evidence first, with Rubiales then given the opportunity to respond in a process that can last up to six months.
Rubiales has faced calls to resign from his position following his behaviour, but repeatedly refused to do so.
During a press conference, Rubiales insisted he was staying and vowed to hand manager Jorge Vilda a new and improved contract.
Rubiales remains in his post for now, though, despite the Spanish FA condemning his behaviour as ‘totally unacceptable’ and apologising for the ‘enormous damage’ he has caused.
Rubiales has received widespread criticism for kissing Hermoso, but has been backed by some of his closest allies, including his mother Angelas Bejar.
She called for Hermoso to ‘tell the truth’ about the incident, before being admitted to hospital three days into her hunger strike.
