Prosecutors file lawsuit for sexual assault & coercion against Rubiales
The Audencia Nacional will now take over the case after Hermoso pressed charges for unsolicited kiss
The Public Prosecutor's Office [PPO] has formalised its lawsuit against Luis Rubiales after Jenni Hermoso pressed charges this week.
The PPO opened a preliminary probe last week and offered Hermoso the chance to join the case, which she took on Tuesday.
Spain's National Court [Audiencia Nacional] will now review the filed charges, which include sexual assauly and coercion.
The prosecution included the crime of sexual assault, provided for and punishable under article 178 of the Penal Code, a crime of coercion, provided for and punishable under article 172, which is punishable "with a prison sentence of six months to three years or a fine, depending on the seriousness of the coercion or the means used" for it. Sexual assault is punishable by one to four years' imprisonment.
The lawsuit legally qualifies "the non-consensual kiss on the mouth that Rubiales gave to the player Hermoso, while grabbing her head with both hands, during the trophy presentation ceremony to the members of the Spanish Women's Football Team, after winning the World Cup held in Sydney (Australia), on 20 August."
The complaint was filed after the player appeared before the public prosecutor on 5 September, accompanied by her lawyer, and made an express denunciation of the events which, according to her statement, took place without her consent.
Hermoso also mentioned in her statement that both she and her immediate entourage suffered constant and repeated pressure from Rubiales and his professional entourage to justify and approve of the events. The prosecutor considers that this harassment could constitute a crime of coercion.
In the complaint, the prosecutor asks that Rubiales be heard as a defendant and Hermoso as a victim.
It also requests that information be sought from the Australian authorities on the classification of offences against sexual freedom in their criminal law. Once the complaint has been filed, the court of the Audiencia Nacional will be responsible for investigating the case.
