According to the country's prosecutors' office, Jenni Hermoso, a Spanish football player, has accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault for kissing her on the lips without her consent after the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final.
Rubiales, the now-suspended president of the Spanish football federation, kissed Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony on 20 August in Sydney, Australia, after Spain defeated England to win the title.
Rubiales has stated that the kiss was mutual. Hermoso has refuted this. She also claimed that the federation put her and her family under pressure to show her support for Rubiales in the early aftermath of the incident caused by the kiss that marred her team's victory.
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The Spanish government, players' unions, players, and many citizens have all backed Hermoso. Meanwhile, Rubiales has become a football outcast despite his refusal to retire.
Rubiales was suspended from his position by FIFA on August 27, a day after he refused to resign during a belligerent speech to his federation's general congress, in which he claimed he was the victim of a "witch hunt" by "false feminists."
According to the prosecutor's office, Hermoso claimed on Tuesday. Prosecutors stated last week that they would meet with Hermoso to allow her to present an accusation against Rubiales.
Hermoso, a 33-year-old forward, now plays for Pachuca in Mexico after a long career with prominent Spanish and European clubs such as Barcelona, PSG, and Atletico Madrid.
(With AP inputs)
