kiss attack
Spanish Football Federation calls on Rubiales to resign – United Nations steps in
Spanish football president Luis Rubiales and player Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup victory in Sydney
© Imago Images
Luis Rubiales has ruled out resigning, but that’s exactly what the regional presidents of the Spanish Football Federation are demanding. The public prosecutor’s office of the highest criminal court wants to investigate whether it is a case of “sexual assault”. And the United Nations commented on the case.
The Spanish football association RFEF has a head of association Luis Rubiales asked to resign after his kiss attack on national player Jenni Hermoso. After a meeting of the RFEF regional presidents, a statement on Monday evening said they called for Rubiales’ “immediate” resignation after his “unacceptable behavior”. The Spanish public prosecutor’s office announced preliminary investigations – they wanted to check whether it could be a “sexual assault”. The United Nations regretted that “sexism” still existed in sport.
The forced kiss “severely damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents call on Rubiales to resign immediately from his post as president of the RFEF,” said the regional presidents. At the same time, they called for “a reorganization of the federation’s strategic positions in order to pave the way for a new stage in the management of Spanish football,” it said.
‘Caused serious damage to the image of Spanish football’
After the World Cup triumph of the Spaniards in Sydney on August 20, RFEF President Rubiales held Hermoso’s head with both hands and kissed her on the mouth in front of a crowd of millions. The offensive behavior had triggered international outrage.
Prosecutors at Spain’s highest criminal court said they would investigate whether the incident could amount to “sexual assault”. She called on world champion Hermoso to contact her within the next 15 days to find out about her rights as a victim and to file a complaint if necessary.
On Saturday, the world football association Fifa suspended the 46-year-old Rubiales for an initial period of 90 days. Since Monday noon, the Spanish sports court TAD has also been discussing a further ban on the head of the association requested by the government.
Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres commented
Now the United Nations have also expressed criticism of Luis Rubiales. “How difficult is it not to kiss someone on the lips?” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York on Monday. He sees “no indication” that Rubiales’ kiss on the mouth of player Jennifer Hermoso at the award ceremony after winning the World Cup final was consensual, Dujarric continued. “There remains a critical problem of sexism in sport and we hope that the Spanish authorities and government will address this issue in a way that respects the rights of all female athletes.”
Meanwhile, Rubiales’ mother went on a hunger strike to protest the massive criticism of her son. Angeles Béjar started their 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’ mother on hunger strike
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. However, if Hermoso does not report the head of the association, it will be “difficult” for the prosecutors, the AFP news agency learned from judicial circles.