Jennifer Hermoso, the Spanish football star who was violently kissed by Luis Rubiales, a former leading football official in her country, testified that his trial opened on Monday that “destroyed one of the happiest days of my life” – its victory Her team at the 2023 World Women’s World Cup.
Ms Hermoso described her horror in unexpected kiss by Mr. Rubiales, who is accused of sexual assault and coercion. He also said about the anxiety he felt after Mr Rubiales and other Spanish football leaders carried out what was called a strong campaign to publicly support him after kissing a storm of social media.
“I felt insanity,” said Ms Hermoso, 34, said in a televised testimony in the trial outside Madrid, adding: “I was not looking for this act, nor did I expect it.”
The kiss has taken a national scandal, deepen the discussions about long -term sexism in Spanish football and became a time of the catastrophe in Spain’s #MeToo movement. Now, less than one and a half years later, Mr Rubiales is one of the four former Spanish football officials in trial.
Mr Rubiales, 47, faces two and a half years in prison if convicted. The other three men, who include Jorge Vilda, the team’s coach in the 2023 World Cup, are accused of coercion. Everyone could face 18 months.
Mrs Hermoso has long said that the kiss was not consensual, which Mr Rubiales questioned.
“I couldn’t react – it was a thousandth of a second,” he testified.
Mr. Rubiales threatened to send people to talk to her family, testified and begged her to make a video playing it down. She also talked about what she saw as a possible punishment for her refusal: a month after the kiss, soon abandoned the roster of the national team.
“I refused to do something that my boss wanted to do,” he said, adding that he had received death threats. “I was afraid to go out on the street if someone was chasing me.”
But during the metal ceremony after the final, Mr. Rubiales grabbed and kissed Ms. Hermoso – the scorer of the national team – on the lips. In a video shot after the race, he said, “I didn’t like this!”
The public reaction was fast and furious.
For many, the kiss was a reminder of the repeated sexism scandals that had been deceived through Spanish football. Some have called on Mr Rubiales to resign. Irene Montero, who was the Spanish Minister of Equality and is now a member of the European Parliament, described the kiss as “sexual violence” in a social media position.
Initially, Mr. Rubiales offered a lukewarm apology and resisted the calls to resign. Spain’s football federation published a statement stating that Mrs Hermoso called her “a completely spontaneous mutual gesture”.
But in the trial on Monday, Ms Hermoso said she had never approved the statement, adding that she knew immediately that the act was not normal. “My boss kisses me,” he said. “This should not happen.”
After the kiss, dozens of Spanish footballers said they would refuse to play for their country until the “today’s managers” came out, which many saw as a reference to Mr Rubiales and Mr Vilda.
Ms Hermoso filed a criminal complaint of a sexual assault on Mr Rubiales. “By no means did I agree with the kiss he gave me,” he said.
As public pressure was placed, Mr Rubiales’ support was diluted. FIFA, the global government’s body of football, suspended him and later banned him from the sport for three years. Mr. Vilda was fired. Less than a month after the kiss, Mr Rubiales resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation and also as Vice President of UEFA, the European football government.
Mr Rubiales was also arrested for a while last year in a broad investigation into corruption and money laundering claims, while led football to Spain. These investigations are continuing, although no charges have been imposed. Has denied injustice.
Mr Rubiales may not face time in prison, even if he is sentenced. In Spain, if one without a criminal record is sentenced to two or less years, they usually do not go to prison.
However, Ms. Hermoso described the kiss and public reaction as a constant trauma. “My life was in a state of waiting,” he said. “And, honestly, I wasn’t able to live freely.”
Aritz parra and Nader ibrahim He contributed research.
