The judge of the National Court Francisco de Jorge has sent the former president of the Spanish Football Federation to trial Luis Rubiales for the crimes of sexual assault and coercion for the non-consensual kiss he gave to the player Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final in Sydney last August.
After almost eight months of researchthe judge has agreed to open a trial for Rubiales and the three others investigated for coercing Jenni Hermoso to justify the actions of the former president of the RFEF: the former sports director of the men’s team Albert Luqueto the former women’s coach Jorge Vilda and the one who was responsible for Marketing of the Federation, Ruben Rivera.
Date to be determined
The four will sit in the dock before the Central Criminal Court of the National Court in a trial whose date is yet to be determined and in which Rubiales faces a request from the Prosecutor’s Office for two and a half years in prisonone more than the other three defendants.
Waiting to know when the trial will be held, for the moment Rubiales has a period of 24 hours to provide a bond of 65,000 euros to face any possible civil responsibilities to which he could be sentenced for the crime of sexual assault, as determined by the judge in his order this Wednesday.
For him second offense for which he is accused – coercion – must contribute another 65,000 eurosbut this time jointly with the other three defendants.
In addition to the Prosecutor’s Office, the accusations themselves also appear Jenni Hermoso and the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE)who request the same prison sentences as the public ministry.
Prohibition of approaching closer than 500 meters
The international also requests that Rubiales be prohibited from approaching her at less than 500 meters or communicate with her for eight years and compensation of 50,000 euros in civil liabilityand another 50,000 to pay with the rest of the defendants.
Judge De Jorge’s resolution sets the course for trial an episode that triggered a wave of protests and that, apart from the criminal sphere, ended with the disqualification of Rubiales by FIFA for three years. Happened last August 20at Stadium Australia in Sydney, after the victory of the women’s World Cup team.
The public ministry describes in its written conclusions conduct by Rubiales “surprising and without consent or acceptance” by Jenni Hermoso when, during the World Cup medal ceremony, He “held her head” with both hands and “kissed her on the lips.”
Pressures
And he also accuses him of “constantly” and repeatedly putting pressure on the soccer player and her entourage to “justified and approved” the kiss he gave her “against her will” in the face of “the personal and professional consequences” that he could face.
A “harassment situation” for which he also blames the other three defendants, “trusted people” of Rubiales who took up their positions “under his command” and whose “privileged situation in the RFEF” depended on his “luck”.
Apart from this procedure, Rubiales is being investigated in a court in Majadahonda (Madrid) for corruption crimes in business and unfair administration due to alleged irregularities in Federation contracts when he was in charge.
