The forced kiss he gave her in 2023 “should not occur in any social or work setting,” according to Spain star Jenni Hermoso, who testified at the trial of disgraced ex-football coach Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales was charged with sexual assault and coercion after his kiss on Hermoso following the 2023 Women’s World Cup final sparked outrage worldwide and is currently serving two and a half years in prison.
Rubiales, 47, denies the charges. He has called the kiss an innocuous “peck between friends celebrating” and denied any coercion.
Hermoso told the court on Monday, the trial’s opening day, that she felt it was completely inappropriate and that she later realized that her boss was kissing her. This shouldn’t happen in any social or workplace settings.
“A kiss on the lips is only given when I decide so”, she added.
Hermoso and her teammates had won the World Cup title when they defeated England in the final in Sydney, but the scandal broke that revolutionized Spanish football and wrecked Rubiales’ careers.
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips and clasped her head as she joined her fellow teammates in bringing home the medals, which Rubiales then let go with two slaps on the back.
Hermoso became a symbol of the fight against sexism and macho culture in sport as a result of what critics perceived as an abuse of power.
A recent revision to the Spanish criminal code defines a non-consensual kiss as sexual assault.
“As a woman, I felt disrespected. One of my life’s busiest days was ruined by that moment, Hermoso said at the trial.
It’s very important to me to state that I never sought or even anticipated that action.
The trial is scheduled to start on February 19 at the National Court in San Fernando de Henares, near Madrid.
Source: Aljazeera
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