CNN
—
Former head of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales will stand trial for his unsolicited kiss with national soccer player Jennifer Hermozo after a High Court judge in Madrid accepted the case, the court announced Wednesday.
Rubiales faces one count of sexual assault and one count of coercion for his alleged actions following the kiss, which happened after Spain won the World Cup last year. Spanish prosecutors are seeking jail terms of one year and 18 months respectively for the offences, or a total of two years and six months.
The Spanish public ministry formally charged Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with sexual assault for kissing Hermozo “without consent or acceptance”.
Rubiales has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said he was given consent by Hermoso. “For me there is no crime” Rubiales told TV channel La Sexta in April.
Rubiales, who has previously apologized for the kiss, told La Sexta there was nothing sexual about his actions and claimed he had asked Hermoso for his consent, to which he said she replied “vale” – Spanish for ” Ok”.
Hermoso has he previously said he did not consent and was not respected by Rubiales.
“I had to suffer the consequences of an act that I did not cause, that I did not choose or plan,” he said. GQ Spain in an interview last November. “I’ve received threats and that’s something you’ll never get used to.”
The Supreme Court will also try former women’s national team coach Jorge Wilda, the team’s current sporting director, Albert Luque, and the federation’s marketing chief Ruben Rivera. They are accused of forcing Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual.
The court has set bail at 65,000 euros ($69,836) on Rubiales’ charge of sexual assault. The court has also set a separate joint bail of 65,000 euros for Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and Rivera on the charge of coercion.