Spanish Soccer Player Jenni Hermoso Accuses Federation President of Sexual Assault in a Formal Complaint

Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso has

lodged formal accusations against Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish soccer federation, alleging sexual assault stemming from a non-consensual kiss on the lips after Spain’s World Cup victory last month. This prompted FIFA to provisionally suspend Rubiales for at least 90 days, as he adamantly refused to step down, describing the situation as a “witch hunt” by what he referred to as “false feminists.”

In response, the soccer federation threatened legal action against Hermoso for not accepting Rubiales’s account of the incident. Hermoso firmly maintained that the kiss was not consensual, leading to an investigation by Spanish prosecutors to determine if the kiss qualifies as sexual assault. Her testimony took place on Tuesday, and the prosecutor’s office has stated their intent to process the complaint expeditiously.

This legal complaint comes shortly after the federation terminated Jorge Vilda, the coach of the women’s Spanish World Cup team. This decision followed years of player complaints regarding Vilda’s unprofessional conduct.