Latest news with #Rubiales
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Spain's High Court upholds conviction of ex-soccer chief Luis Rubiales in kiss case
MADRID - Spain's High Court on June 25 upheld a verdict that found former soccer federation president Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for an unsolicited kiss on the lips of national team player Jenni Hermoso at the 2023 World Cup in Sydney. The court rejected multiple appeals against the conviction, reaffirming Rubiales kissed Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony after Spain's women had won the trophy, according to the ruling seen by Reuters. Rubiales was fined over €10,000 (S$15,000) and acquitted of coercion charges alongside three co-defendants. Prosecutors had sought a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence and called for a retrial, both of which were dismissed. The incident sparked widespread debate about sexism in Spanish society and women's football, fuelling momentum for the 'Me Too' movement in the country. Rubiales argued that his actions were motivated by an uncontrollable joy, but the court ruled that his restraint with other players and attendees demonstrated he could have avoided such behaviour with Hermoso. 'Since that emotion did not lead him to express his joy so effusively by kissing the other players or the accompanying persons in the box, and he restrained himself, he could also have done so, without too much effort, with the captain of the team,' the court said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rubiales to appeal fine for Hermoso forced kiss
The kiss sparked a global uproar that forced Luis Rubiales to relinquish his post as Spanish football federation chief (JAVIER SORIANO) Disgraced former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will appeal at the Supreme Court the confirmation of his 10,800-euro fine for forcibly kissing Jenni Hermoso, his lawyer said on Wednesday. After a keenly awaited trial that gripped the country, Spain's top criminal court in February found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for the kiss at the 2023 Women's World Cup that generated global outrage. Advertisement The Audiencia Nacional also cleared him of a separate accusation of coercion for allegedly forcing Hermoso to downplay the incident afterwards. Both parties contested the sentence, which fell short of the two and a half year prison term sought by prosecutors and infuriated feminist groups that condemned the punishment as too lenient. Rubiales maintained the kiss was a consensual "peck" between friends celebrating during the medal ceremony after star forward Hermoso had just helped Spain beat England in the final in Sydney, denying any coercion. The court said in a statement on Wednesday that it had rejected the appeals of the defence team and the prosecutors, maintaining the conviction and the fine. Advertisement "The kiss was not consensual" and Hermoso "expressed her displeasure with what happened, as she herself confirmed in the trial, as well as her teammates", the court wrote. "It cannot be said that a kiss in those circumstances was frequent or common or usual." It also confirmed that Rubiales, former women's national team manager Jorge Vilda and two former senior federation officials, Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera, were cleared of the coercion charge. Rubiales's lawyer Olga Tubau told AFP that he would appeal the verdict at the Supreme Court. - Football federation in turmoil - Advertisement A separate request by the prosecutors to rerun the trial, notably due to doubts over the judge's impartiality, was dismissed. The court also maintained a ban on Rubiales from going within a 200-metre radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year. The kiss sparked a global uproar that forced Rubiales to relinquish his post, saw him banned from all football-related activity for three years and plunged the federation into a prolonged period of turmoil. The affair made Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the national women's team, an icon of the fight against sexism and macho culture in sport. Advertisement Rubiales is also embroiled in an investigation into alleged financial irregularities totalling millions of euros related to the Spanish Super Cup's relocation to Saudi Arabia, which involved a company owned by Barcelona great Gerard Pique. Rubiales has dismissed the allegations as "falsehoods". mig/imm/mw
France 24
3 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Rubiales to appeal fine for Hermoso forced kiss
After a keenly awaited trial that gripped the country, Spain's top criminal court in February found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for the kiss at the 2023 Women's World Cup that generated global outrage. The Audiencia Nacional also cleared him of a separate accusation of coercion for allegedly forcing Hermoso to downplay the incident afterwards. Both parties contested the sentence, which fell short of the two and a half year prison term sought by prosecutors and infuriated feminist groups that condemned the punishment as too lenient. Rubiales maintained the kiss was a consensual "peck" between friends celebrating during the medal ceremony after star forward Hermoso had just helped Spain beat England in the final in Sydney, denying any coercion. The court said in a statement on Wednesday that it had rejected the appeals of the defence team and the prosecutors, maintaining the conviction and the fine. "The kiss was not consensual" and Hermoso "expressed her displeasure with what happened, as she herself confirmed in the trial, as well as her teammates", the court wrote. "It cannot be said that a kiss in those circumstances was frequent or common or usual." It also confirmed that Rubiales, former women's national team manager Jorge Vilda and two former senior federation officials, Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera, were cleared of the coercion charge. Rubiales's lawyer Olga Tubau told AFP that he would appeal the verdict at the Supreme Court. Football federation in turmoil A separate request by the prosecutors to rerun the trial, notably due to doubts over the judge's impartiality, was dismissed. The court also maintained a ban on Rubiales from going within a 200-metre radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year. The kiss sparked a global uproar that forced Rubiales to relinquish his post, saw him banned from all football-related activity for three years and plunged the federation into a prolonged period of turmoil. The affair made Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the national women's team, an icon of the fight against sexism and macho culture in sport. Rubiales is also embroiled in an investigation into alleged financial irregularities totalling millions of euros related to the Spanish Super Cup's relocation to Saudi Arabia, which involved a company owned by Barcelona great Gerard Pique.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Luis Rubiales, former Spanish football chief, lose World Cup kiss appeal
Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spain's football federation, has lost an appeal against his sexual assault conviction. Rubiales was fined €10,800 (£9,206) in February for kissing captain Jenni Hermoso without her consent after Spain's women's team won the 2023 World Cup.A Spanish appeals court upheld the fine, and also dismissed a separate appeal from prosecutors, who had sought a retrial and pushed for a jail incident - in which Rubiales grabbed Hermoso's head and kissed her on the lips - triggered protests and calls for his resignation. He denied the sexual assault charge, describing the kiss as an "act of affection" and "completely spontaneous". On Wednesday, the Audencia Nacional said it did not consider the kiss consensual, and said Hermoso had objected to it from the found that Rubiales "restrained himself" when interacting with other players and "could also have done so, without too much effort, with the captain".At the original trial, Hermoso said she had not given permission for the kiss, which she felt "disrespected" her and "stained one of the happiest days" of her court upheld the sentence handed down in February, which included a ban on Rubiales going within a 200m radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one court also upheld the decision not to convict Rubiales of coercion. Prosecutors had alleged he pressured Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual, which Rubiales other former Spanish football federation employees - coach Jorge Vila, marketing executive Rubén Rivera and sporting director Albert Luque - were previously cleared of coercion, a decision which was upheld on Wednesday.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Court upholds assault conviction for Spain's ex-soccer chief's World Cup kiss
MADRID — Spain's High Court on Wednesday, June 25, upheld a verdict that found former soccer federation president Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for an unsolicited kiss on the lips of national team player Jenni Hermoso at the 2023 World Cup in Sydney. The court rejected multiple appeals against the conviction, reaffirming Rubiales kissed Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony after Spain's women had won the trophy, according to the ruling seen by Reuters. Rubiales was fined over 10,000 euros ($11,592) and acquitted of coercion charges alongside three co-defendants. Prosecutors had sought a 2-1/2-year prison sentence and called for a retrial, both of which were dismissed. The incident sparked widespread debate about sexism in Spanish society and women's football, fueling momentum for the "Me Too" movement in the country. Rubiales argued that his actions were motivated by an uncontrollable joy, but the court ruled that his restraint with other players and attendees demonstrated he could have avoided such behaviour with Hermoso. "Since that emotion did not lead him to express his joy so effusively by kissing the other players or the accompanying persons in the box, and he restrained himself, he could also have done so, without too much effort, with the captain of the team," the court said.
