Luis Rubiales’ lawyer said in court on Thursday that Jenni Hermoso “not liking” the kiss from the former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president “does not mean she did not give consent” and does not “make it a crime”.
Olga Tubau made the argument during her closing statement in Rubiales’ trial for sexual assault and coercion after he kissed Spain player Hermoso during the medal presentation following the Women’s World Cup final win against England in Sydney in August 2023.
The prosecution alleges that Rubiales, 47, and three other RFEF employees — Jorge Vilda, the former Newcastle United forward and ex-Spain sporting director Albert Luque, and former marketing director Ruben Rivera — coerced Hermoso into publicly supporting Rubiales’ version that the kiss had been consensual. All four deny all charges.
Hermoso has consistently maintained she did not consent to the kiss in the months and years since the incident and did so again in court last week, testifying that Rubiales “didn’t ask me if he could kiss me or not” and that, “If he had asked me the question, I would not have agreed”.
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Hermoso tells court she received death threats after Rubiales kiss following World Cup final
The court has also heard Hermoso say “I did not like it”…
