Spain’s High Court has found former soccer federation president Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent, following a nationwide controversy. Rubiales, who had denied the charges, was fined over 10,000 euros ($10,434) but acquitted of coercion charges. The court ruled there was no violence or intimidation involved in the incident, but found that Hermoso’s testimony, claiming the kiss was not consensual, was credible. Rubiales was also banned from coming within 200 meters of Hermoso for a year and ordered to pay her 3,000 euros in compensation. Rubiales plans to appeal, as does Hermoso, whose lawyer said the player would continue to challenge the aspect of coercion. Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for Rubiales, arguing the incident sparked a broader debate about sexism in sports and society. The judgment was hailed as a step forward for women’s rights. The ruling also highlighted a growing movement in Spain against entrenched macho attitudes in some sectors, with prominent activists celebrating the decision’s positive influence on equality. However, the mild penalty has raised mixed reactions, with some, including Spain’s women’s national team captain Irene Paredes, expressing surprise at the acquittal on coercion charges. Meanwhile, feminist politicians and gender equality advocates pointed to the decision as a victory for the ongoing social change in the country. for 10 seconds
MADRID, Feb 20 – Spain’s High Court has ruled that former soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales is guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent, imposing a fine exceeding 10,000 euros ($10,434). The court cleared him of the coercion charge, and Rubiales has stated that he will appeal the decision, vowing to “keep fighting.” Hermoso’s lawyer, Angel Chavarria, confirmed that the player intends to appeal as well, though no further details were provided. Prosecutors had initially sought a prison sentence for the 47-year-old Rubiales, an incident that ignited widespread debate across Spain about sexism in women’s football and broader societal issues, and which helped galvanize a national “Me Too” movement. The ruling also acquitted three co-defendants accused of trying to pressure Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual during the 2023 World Cup awards ceremony in Sydney—a scandal that overshadowed Spain’s tournament victory.
Throughout the trial, Rubiales maintained that Hermoso had consented to the kiss, but Judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto sided with Hermoso’s account, declaring the act a sexual assault. Although he characterized the incident as “reproachable” but of minor intensity—given the absence of violence or intimidation—the judge determined that a custodial sentence was unwarranted. Instead, Rubiales was fined at a rate of 20 euros per day over an 18-month period, banned from approaching within 200 meters of Hermoso, and prohibited from contacting her for one year. Additionally, he must pay her 3,000 euros in compensation. At the time, Rubiales was earning a gross annual salary of 675,762 euros from the RFEF federation.
During the proceedings, Hermoso recounted how the unsolicited kiss and the resulting turmoil “tainted one of the happiest days of my life,” while her teammates testified that the incident left her overwhelmed, in tears, and exhausted in the subsequent days. Spain’s women’s team captain Irene Paredes expressed respect for the ruling but noted her surprise at the absence of a coercion conviction, stating, “I think the conviction for sexual assault is correct. What I find somehow striking and strange is that there is no conviction for coercion.” Her comments echoed the sentiments of many players in the locker room following training.
Despite the relatively light sentence, the verdict has been hailed as a victory for women’s rights in a country where traditional macho attitudes still linger, even as significant progress has been made over the years. Equality Minister Ana Redondo emphasized that when there is no consent, there is assault, and that the victim’s word must be upheld as the law dictates. Prominent feminist politician Irene Montero, a member of the European Parliament, also described the ruling as a milestone for the movement, though she lamented the minimal fine and damages. “Not long ago, it was unthinkable that a court would recognize a kiss without consent as sexual assault. Feminism is changing everything: Only ‘yes’ means ‘yes’,” she remarked. The Association of Spanish Footballers, which participated as a private prosecutor in the case, called the decision “a significant step forward in the defense of women’s rights and in the fight for a sport free of abuse and inequality.”
