Jennifer Hermoso denounces Luis Rubiales before the Prosecutor’s Office

2023-09-06 15:09:06

BarcelonaJennifer Hermoso, player of the Spanish national team, denounced Luis Rubiales yesterday before the Attorney General of the State for the non-consensual kiss that the suspended president of the RFEF gave her during the ceremony to celebrate the World Cup, according to progress Eldiario.es. Hermoso’s appearance took place before Marta Durántez, the deputy prosecutor of the National Court.

This statement by Barça’s all-time top scorer was necessary so that the Prosecutor’s Office could file a complaint against Rubiales for these facts in the National Court, the court in charge of conducting the judicial process because the kiss without consent occurred in the foreigner Specifically, in Australia, where the Spanish team played and won the World Cup final just over two weeks ago.

Sources from the Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court have explained to the ARA that it will present a “complaint as soon as possible”, which it will inform about in a press release when it has taken place. In addition, they say that the statement was made to the Attorney General’s Office “to protect the privacy of the victim.” On August 28, the Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court opened investigative proceedings and had offered Hermoso the possibility of joining the proceedings by formalizing a public complaint. Despite the fact that the player had the option of presenting it in writing, she has preferred to take the step in person.

The criminal process is gaining strength

Article 191 of the Penal Code states that in order to proceed with the crimes of harassment and sexual assault, it is necessary “a complaint from the aggrieved person, from his legal representative or a complaint from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will act weighing the legitimate interests in presence”. With Hermoso’s complaint, the criminal process for the non-consensual kiss of Rubiales gains strength.

Until now, the leader had been suspended for 90 days by FIFA while it processes the disciplinary file that it has opened against him and the Administrative Court of Sport (TAD) had only considered Rubiales’ two alleged infractions as “serious” for notorious and public acts that attack sports dignity and decorum”. The fact that the TAD did not consider them as “very serious” means that it did not see an “abuse of authority” and does not allow the Superior Sports Council (CSD) to ask for the temporary disqualification of Rubiales. In any case, the CSD asked that TAD itself be the one to temporarily suspend it.

Jennifer Hermoso’s statement

Hermoso published a statement on August 25 in which he ruled that “by no means was the kiss (of Rubiales) consented.” She also said that she had felt “vulnerable and the victim of an assault, an impulsive, sexist, inappropriate and non-consensual act” on her part. “I was simply disrespected,” she added. This statement by Hermoso was key for the Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court to open investigative proceedings.