Thu Feb 20 14:40:24 UTC 2025: ## Spanish Court Finds Luis Rubiales Guilty of Sexual Assault, Imposes Fine
**MADRID** – A Spanish court has found former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for forcibly kissing player Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory. The Audiencia Nacional court on Thursday handed Rubiales a €10,000 ($10,455) fine and issued a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting or approaching Hermoso within a 200-meter radius for one year.
While prosecutors sought jail time, the court acquitted Rubiales of the coercion charges, which alleged he and other officials pressured Hermoso to downplay the incident. The judge, Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto, accepted Hermoso’s testimony that the kiss was non-consensual, stating that while the act was “always reproachable,” its “minor intensity” and lack of violence or intimidation warranted a fine rather than imprisonment.
Hermoso, Spain’s all-time top women’s scorer, testified that the kiss “stained one of the happiest days of my life,” leaving her feeling disrespected and overwhelmed. Her teammates corroborated her account of the incident’s impact. Rubiales, who resigned in September 2023 amid widespread public outrage, maintained throughout the trial that the kiss was consensual.
The ruling concludes a high-profile case that sparked a national debate about sexism in Spanish football and the treatment of female athletes. The incident overshadowed Spain’s World Cup win and led to significant calls for reform within the Spanish football federation.
First Piper 