Spanish soccer boss pleads not guilty in ‘kiss’ trial 

Madrid — 

A pistillate Spanish shot subordinate told a tribunal Monday that her brag kissed her against her volition arsenic millions watched connected television, past pressured her to accidental it was consensual, successful a lawsuit wide seen arsenic putting machismo successful athletics connected trial.

Jenni Hermoso testified earlier Madrid’s High Court arsenic Luis Rubiales, the erstwhile president of the Spanish Soccer Federation, went connected proceedings facing charges of intersexual battle and coercion. Rubiales entered a plea of not guilty.

The 47-year-old prompted outrage successful 2023 arsenic helium cupped prima subordinate Hermoso’s caput and gave her an unsolicited buss connected the rima aft Spain bushed England to triumph the Women’s World Cup Final successful Australia.

In the hours aft the incident, Rubiales allegedly tried to unit Hermoso into saying that the buss was consensual.

The furor partially overshadowed Spain’s triumph and prompted Spain’s ain #MeToo infinitesimal erstwhile women posted #SeAcabo — it’s implicit — connected societal media, signaling they would not tolerate macho attraction successful athletics anymore.

In a highly anticipated trial, beamed unrecorded connected tv successful Spain, Hermoso told the tribunal she felt disrespected arsenic a woman.

“My brag was kissing me, and this shouldn’t hap successful immoderate societal oregon enactment setting. A buss connected the lips has a connotation that goes beyond a buss of courtesy and friendship,” she said. “As a pistillate I felt disrespected. It was a infinitesimal that stained 1 of the happiest days of my life. For maine it is precise important to accidental that astatine nary constituent did I question that act, fto unsocial expect it.”

After the last successful Australia, Hermoso said connected the team’s travel backmost to Spain, she said she came nether unit from Rubiales and different shot federation officials to hold to a connection which said it was a consensual kiss.

“They had ne'er asked maine astir it,” she said. “I said no.”

Hermoso said she was besides asked to marque a video with Rubiales for the media erstwhile the team’s level stopped disconnected successful Doha connected the mode back, to downplay the incident. She said she refused.

Hermoso said erstwhile she returned to Spain, she received decease threats and had to permission Madrid with her family.

“I had cameramen extracurricular my location 24/7 and cars. I received decease threats. I had to permission Madrid with my family. It was intolerable to beryllium there,” she said.

She said she had to spot her scientist much than mean due to the fact that of the repercussions of the case.

“I didn’t take this. I ne'er would. Why did this person to hap to me? Until today, it feels similar my beingness has been connected standby” due to the fact that of the case, she said.

A caller betterment of the Spanish penal codification classified a non-consensual buss arsenic intersexual assault.

Rubiales, who had been shot federation main since 2018, initially dismissed the buss arsenic a “peck” but gave successful to unit and resigned successful September 2023 aft an probe began into the case.

Amid immense planetary media interest, the proceedings successful Madrid is expected to tally for 3 weeks. Then the judges volition discontinue to see their verdicts.

Prosecutors are seeking 2 and a fractional years successful situation for Rubiales if helium is convicted connected the intersexual battle charges.

Three different erstwhile shot officials are besides accused of trying to coerce Hermoso into saying that the buss was consensual.

They are ex-women’s nationalist squad manager Jorge Vilda and 2 different Spanish shot federation officials Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque. All look situation presumption of up to 18 months successful situation if convicted but contradict coercion.

Four teammates from Spain’s shot squad are expected to look arsenic witnesses for the prosecution.

Misa Roriguez, Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Laia Condia, who each play for teams successful Spain oregon Britain, volition look during the trial.

Rubiales, who is expected to instrumentality the basal connected February 12, has denied coercing Hermoso into the kiss.

The lawsuit has gripped Spain. Before the proceedings got nether way, Equality Minister Ana Redondo posted connected societal media X: “Thanks to you [Jenni] and your teammates we added different triumph for feminism.”

In the days aft the ungraded blew up, the saga took an unexpected crook erstwhile Rubiales’ parent Angeles Bejar started a little hunger onslaught successful enactment of her lad wrong a Catholic Church successful the family’s hometown of Motril successful confederate Spain.

In a motion that this was a defining infinitesimal not conscionable for Spanish athletics but for women’s rights, the country’s World Cup women’s shot squad staged a impermanent onslaught and refused to play nether the existing managers of the Spanish federation.

Women person made large advances successful caller years successful Spain.

Half of the 22 furniture posts successful the Spanish authorities are occupied by women, from the treasury to labour ministries.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the Madrid determination person who is simply a prima fig of the blimpish opposition, is considered a imaginable aboriginal premier minister.

With 74.6 retired of 100 points, Spain ranks 6th successful the European Union connected the sex equality index,six points supra the EU average.