After the kiss attack on national soccer player Jennifer Hermoso, the Spanish public prosecutor’s office has announced preliminary investigations against soccer association president Luis Rubiales.
The Spanish public prosecutor’s office has announced preliminary investigations against the head of the football association Luis Rubiales after the kiss attack on national player Jennifer Hermoso. The prosecutor’s office of the highest criminal court said on Monday that she would investigate whether it could be a case of “sexual assault”. Meanwhile, Rubiales’ mother went on a hunger strike to protest the massive criticism of her son.
The public prosecutor’s office called on world champion Hermoso to contact her within the next 15 days to find out about her rights as a victim and, if necessary, to file a complaint.
Rubiales kiss scandal: “No kind of consent”
Rubiales, president of the Spanish football association RFEF, held onto Hermoso’s head with both hands and kissed her on the mouth after the Spanish women’s World Cup triumph in Sydney on August 20 in front of a crowd of millions. The offensive behavior had triggered international outrage. On Saturday, the world football association Fifa suspended the 46-year-old for an initial period of 90 days. Since Monday noon, the Spanish sports court TAD has also been advising on a further ban on the head of the association requested by the government.
Rubiales’ mother Angeles Béjar started her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the southern Spanish coastal town of Motril on Monday, a family member told journalists outside the church. She wanted to refuse to eat until Hermoso said “the truth” about the incident after the World Cup victory for the Spanish women’s national team.
Rubiales suffers from “harassment that is not fair,” said Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz Béjar. He was the victim of prejudice. “We want Jenni to tell the truth because she changed her statement three times,” said Ruiz Béjar. Rubiales had assured that the kiss was “mutual, euphoric and consensual”.
The 33-year-old Hermoso rejected that. She “never” consented to the “abusive” kiss, she said on Friday. Rather, she feels like a victim of a “sexist act”.
The court explained that the preliminary investigations were carried out with a view to the “unambiguous” statements by Hermoso that it was not a consensual process. In order to be able to move forward with the proceedings, “the injured party or her legal adviser must file a complaint” or the public prosecutor’s office must file a complaint, it said. If Hermoso does not report the head of the association, however, it will be “difficult” for the prosecutors, the AFP news agency learned from judicial circles.
Source: Stern
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