The judge notifies Rubiales of the opening of the oral trial for the kiss against Jenni Hermoso: “I will continue to maintain the truth”

The former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales He went to the National Court of Madrid this Friday to collect in person the resolution that sent him to trial for alleged crimes of sexual assault and coercion. Jenni Hermoso for the non-consensual kiss he gave her after the World Cup final last summer.

This is a formal procedure that must also be completed by the other three defendants accused of allegedly coercing the player to publicly justify Rubiales’ actions: the former sports director of the men’s national team Albert Luque, the former women’s coach Jorge Vilda and the former Marketing Manager of the Federation, Rubén Rivera.

At the doors of the judicial authorities, former sports leader of the RFEF has accused Hermoso of changing his version and has defended his innocence: “There was a single version from both parties and then one of the parties changed the version. I am going to continue maintaining the truth and hoping that everything turns out well,” he said.

Notification of the opening of trial

The magistrate who investigated the facts, Francisco de Jorge, has already notified them of the order to open the trial that he issued last week and the imposition of the respective bail so that they can face possible civil liabilities in the event of being convicted.

As of this Friday, therefore, the 24-hour period will begin to count for Rubiales to pay 65,000 euros in bail for the crime of sexual assault and another 65,000 euros, but in this case jointly with the other three defendants, for that of coercion.

The former federation president, who is also being investigated in another Madrid court for alleged corruption in RFEF contracts, faces in the National Court a request from the Prosecutor’s Office and accusations of two and a half years in prison, while the other three defendants face to a year and a half.

The international also requests that Rubiales be banned from approaching her within 500 meters or communicating with her for eight years and compensation of 50,000 euros in civil liability, and another 50,000 to be paid to the rest of the accused. .

The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the kiss was not consensual

The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that, on August 20 after the victory of the women’s team in the World Cup, Rubiales “kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips” in a “surprise” manner and without her consent. And he also accuses him of “constantly” and repeatedly putting pressure on the soccer player and her entourage to “justify and approve” the kiss he gave her “against her will”, a “situation of harassment” for which he also blames the three other defendants, “trusted people” of Rubiales.