Luis Rubiales, the previous president of the Spanish soccer federation, denied any wrongdoing when questioned by a decide investigating his kissing a participant on the lips final month on the FIFA Girls’s World Cup, Spain’s state prosecutors’ workplace stated Friday.
Choose Francisco de Jorge earlier this week ordered Rubiales to reply questions at Spain’s Nationwide Court docket.
Rubiales kissed Spain ahead Jenni Hermoso on the lips through the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on August 20 in Sydney, Australia. He stated she had consented to the kiss, however Hermoso has denied that repeatedly.
Spanish state prosecutors formally accused Rubiales final week of sexual assault and an act of coercion. In keeping with Hermoso, Rubiales pressured her to talk out in his defence instantly after the scandal erupted.
The state prosecutors’ workplace stated Rubiales denied each accusations when answering questions by the decide in an hour-long listening to that was closed to the general public. Neither Rubiales nor his defence lawyer, Olga Tubau, spoke to the media exterior the Nationwide Court docket.
Hermoso’s lawyer, Carla Vall i Duran, stated they have been glad with the listening to. “We are able to proceed to affirm that the kiss was not consented to, which is what we’ve stated from the very starting,” Vall i Duran stated. “Because of the (pictures of the kiss), all the world, all the nation, has been capable of observe there was no sort of consent. And, we’re going to show that within the courtroom.”
State prosecutors requested the decide to contemplate issuing a restraining order to ban Rubiales from coming inside 500 meters (yards) of Hermoso or attempting to speak along with her, in addition to a requirement for him to test in with a courtroom each 15 days to make sure he doesn’t flee the nation. The decide must determine whether or not to use these measures.
Rubiales introduced on Sunday that he was resigning from his put up as president of the soccer federation. He had already been provisionally suspended by the soccer governing physique Worldwide Federation of Affiliation Soccer.
De Jorge is finishing up the preliminary investigation into the accusations towards Rubiales, and can then determine whether or not the case ought to go to trial.
In keeping with a sexual consent legislation handed in Spain final 12 months, Rubiales might face a nice or a jail sentence of 1 to 4 years if discovered responsible of sexual assault. The brand new legislation eradicated the distinction between sexual harassment and sexual assault, sanctioning any non-consensual sexual act.
