Los fiscales españoles acusan a Rubiales de agresión sexual y coerción por besar a un jugador en la Copa Mundial

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — State prosecutors in Spain have filed a lawsuit against Luis Rubiales, accusing him of sexual assault and coercion for kissing a player on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final, according to the country’s prosecutors’ office. Rubiales, who is now suspended as the president of the Spanish soccer federation, kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory over England in the final on August 20 in Sydney, Australia. The suit was presented to Spain’s National Court in Madrid two days after Hermoso formally accused Rubiales of sexual assault. Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault under Spain’s sexual consent law. Prosecutors also stated that Rubiales could have committed an act of coercion by pressuring Hermoso to speak out in his defense immediately after the scandal surrounding his behavior erupted. Rubiales maintains that the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso and her players’ union have denied this. Prosecutors have requested that Rubiales appear before a court to give preliminary testimony. If the National Court judge agrees to hear the case, it could lead to a formal investigation and subsequent recommendation for dismissal or trial.