World Cup Kiss: Jenni Hermoso to appeal verdict after Ex-Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales escapes prison term
Footballer Jenni Hermoso will appeal the verdict against Luis Rubiales after the former president of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) was spared jail term and was only fined after he was found guilty of kissing the player without her consent during the 2023 World Cup.
Rubiales was on Thursday found guilty of sexual assault by Spain’s High Court but was acquitted of coercion after allegedly trying to pressure Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual. He was subsequently ordered to pay €10,800 fine.
However, Hermoso’s lawyer, Angel Chavarria, has now revealed that the player intends to appeal the high court’s ruling after it ignored the prosecutors’ demand for Rubiales to be sentenced to prison, according to Reuters.
The court also cleared Rubiales’ former colleagues Jorge Vilda, coach of the World Cup-winning side; Rubén Rivera, RFEF’s former head of marketing; and Albert Luque, former sporting director, who were all charged with coercion.
In her testimony earlier this month, Hermoso insisted she had not given consent and that the incident, which sparked conversations about sexism in football, had “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.
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