Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half year jail term for former football chief Luis Rubiales in connection to an incident where he forcibly kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso against her will. The court documents show that prosecutors want Rubiales to face a year behind bars for the kiss and 18 months for the charge of coercion. They are also requesting that Rubiales pay at least 50,000 euros in compensation to Hermoso.
During the incident, which occurred after Spain’s Women’s World Cup final victory in August, Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso on the lips in front of cameras, leading to his suspension by FIFA. Prosecutors stated that the kiss was nonconsensual and classified it as sexual assault under Spanish law.
In addition to Rubiales, three of his former associates are also being tried for pressuring Hermoso to publicly justify the kiss. Hermoso filed a lawsuit against Rubiales in September, seeking a restraining order and barring him from coming within 200 meters of her.
While Rubiales has been named in a separate corruption probe, he has denied any wrongdoing and stated that he will cooperate with the investigation. Despite the requested jail terms, judges have the discretion to suspend the sentences if none exceed two years individually. Rubiales is expected to return to Spain from the Dominican Republic in April.