Prosecutor Seeks Re-Trial for Embattled Former Head of Spanish Football, Rubiales

A Spanish prosecutor has requested a retrial following the High Court’s conviction of Luis Rubiales, the former head of the country’s football federation, for kissing national team player Jenni Hermoso without her consent, as stated by the prosecutor’s office on Thursday.

Last month, the court found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault, imposing a fine of over 10,000 euros, a verdict that ignited widespread public outrage across Spain.

The judgement also acquitted him and three co-defendants of a coercion charge, with the prosecution initially seeking a prison sentence of two and a half years for the former football federation president.

In the appeal reviewed by Reuters, prosecutor Marta Durantez argued for a new trial, claiming that several key pieces of evidence and many of her inquiries were excluded.

Durantez noted that the imposed fine and the additional compensation of 3,000 euros awarded to Hermoso were disproportionately low.

Both Rubiales and Hermoso have indicated plans to appeal the ruling.

The incident, which occurred during the 2023 World Cup awards ceremony in Sydney, ignited an intense discussion in Spain regarding sexism in women’s football and the broader Spanish society, giving rise to a movement akin to the ‘Me Too’ campaign on social media.

The fallout overshadowed Spain’s triumph in the tournament.