The International of Spain, Jenni Hermoso, told a court today the unwanted kiss of his former boss after he helped his country win the World Cup “stained” one of the happiest days of his life.
The 34-year-old striker said that he felt that the former president of the Fa-Spanish, Luis Rubiales, had “abused” her as a woman by kissing her on the lips without her consent on the podium of the medal after the triumph of her team 1-0 over England in Sydney in 2023.
She told the National Court of Hearing in Madrid that she had been reduced to tears after accusing Rubiales and her assistants to try to press her to claim that the kiss was just a peck. his.
Rubiales looked impasively while beautiful took the first day of the 'Kissgate' trial to affirm that he had done something that was 'incorrect' as superior and had contributed to leave it 'completely unprotected' while he and his management team tried saving their reputation in the resulting media storm.
The 47 -year -old father is accused of sexual aggression and coercion for the kiss and his alleged later behavior.
Prosecutors want him imprisoned for a year if he is convicted of the first crime and delivered an 18 -month prison sentence if he declares himself guilty of coercion.
International Spain Jenni Hermoso said 'Kissgate' 'stained' one of the happiest days of her life
Luis Rubiales is accused of sexual assault and coercion for an unwanted kiss in beautiful
Rubiales planted a kiss on beautiful lips after Spain won the Women's World Cup 2023
The former chief coach of Spain, Jorge Vilda, the former director of the men's team, Albert Luque, and the former Spanish Marketing director Ruben Rivera are the coacked of Rubiales and face 18 months prison sentences if It is declared guilty of coercion.
Taking the position of the witnesses just after 10.20 in the morning today with a black -neck sweater and Gray jeans, beautiful said: “From the first day it was clear to me that I wanted to report what happened.”
Remembering how she greeted the queen of Spain, Letizia and the 16 -year -old daughter of royalty, while going to collect her World Cup winner before facing Rubiales, said: “I said:” What explosion we have had “and He replied: “We have won this World Cup thanks to you.”
“He put his hands on his ears and then the kiss came.”
Telling the public prosecutor Marta during the interrogation, the former Spanish FA head grabbed the head “strongly” and did not give him any time to react, he added: “He was a thousandth of a second.”
'I felt that I was totally out of context. My boss was kissing me and what was happening should not happen in any work context. '
When asked if he felt “abused” as a woman, he added: “Yes, I felt very little respect. Luis Rubiales never asked me if he wanted a kiss before he kissed me.
“It was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life.”
Rubiales, the former Spanish Chief of the FA, arrived early in court for the 11 -day trial in Madrid
Beautiful testified the first day and said that I immediately wanted to report the kiss
She also claimed that she was pressed to claim the kiss had been agreed.
Claiming the pressure on her to tell the world Rubiales had kissed her on her lips with the emotion of the moment and that she had not bothered her almost immediately, she said that a press officer called him outside the team that showed him a statement that He was supposed to have written herself.
Beautiful told court: 'I read it and said it and I knew that I had not written a word.
'It was a statement that I had allegedly recruited and consented to be presented to fan the flame flames that was being created by the kiss.
'The statement said Luis Rubiales and I were good friends and the kiss occurred in the effusivity of the moment. I said I did not agree to leave.
To say that Rubiales himself approached him during a stop in Doha on the plane on the way back to Spain, where the daughters of former Spanish FA Chief Lucia and Ana were traveling, she added: 'He helped me help him by making a video with He because of the whole reaction of social networks.
'I told him that he was not going to do anything, that he was not the one who had started things. He told me “Please, my two daughters are at the back of the plane crying.”
“I repeated that I was not going to do it and I remember that he said he had a girlfriend at that time and that he had not bothered him.”
When claiming that the then manager Vilda had approached her brother on the plane to try to press her to change her mind, she said: 'I felt totally unprotected in what should have been a safe place for me, which was my team.
He didn't ask me if I needed anything. The only thing Luis Rubiales and his assistants did was try to protect his reputation.
'From the first moment I arrived in Spain, I took cameras after 24 hours, the people who followed me, people taking photos while having breakfast with my family.
The former Chief of Spain, Jorge Vilda, is coacked and faces a 18 -month prison sentence
Beautiful caused the judicial investigation by presenting a complaint against Rubiales in 2023
I had to leave Madrid with my family.
'I was afraid of moments of being on the street. I received death threats and messages of all kinds and we had to leave Madrid because the situation was unbearable. It was a change in my life and I still say that my life changed from that minute.
When asked how many times they had asked him to publish a press release or a statement that supported Rubiales, beautiful said: 'Too many to tell. The situation prevented me from enjoying being a world champion.
Two of the three daughters of Rubiales, those on the plane, must give evidence in their name next Monday.
The Barcelona striker, Alexia Putellas, part of the World Cup winning team, will evidence on behalf of beautiful Thursday. Other witnesses include the current manager of Spain, Luis de la Fuente.
Rubiales, who resigned from his position in 2023 and was accused last year after a long -term criminal investigation, said daughters that they could now go to their rescue in court: 'They are very strong, stronger than me.
“I consider myself a hard guy, but when it comes to my daughters it is not normal.”
He said in the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Spanish FA in August 2023, in a direct attack on the Minister of the Oquality of Spain, Irene Montero, when I was still insisting that I would never give up: “I mean they look at my three daughters that They are there, that today they have to learn a lesson about what equality is.
'Equality does not differ when there is an opinion between what a man says and what a woman says. You have to differentiate between truth and lies, and I am telling the truth.
Rubiales has accused beautiful of “false feminism” and said he has “a clear conscience”
He could be given a separate prison sentence of 18 if he is declared guilty of coercion
'Daughters, learning it, is a life lesson. You are real feminist, not the false feminism that exists.
“This false feminism does not seek justice, truth, it doesn't matter to people.”
The Spanish news told the Spanish news website in an interview at the beginning of last year: 'My daughters love me and I know they are proud of me, as I am proud of them.
'They are normal girls who go to college and school and see that most people can't believe what happened and do not believe in Jenni.
“That brings them some comfort and tell me:” Look daddy. “Everyone knows that this person is lying.
Speaking to a Spanish television station on the weekend when he arrived at the Barajas International Airport in Madrid, Hermoso replied when asked how he was: 'We hope that all this was, to tell you the truth.
'I am being 100 percent consisting of how I feel all the time and that is the important thing.
'I keep the unwanted kiss. I am sure that justice will be done.
Prosecutors said they wanted Rubiales to pay beautiful £ 85,000 in compensation
The 'Kissgate' trial takes place without a jury and must end on February 19.
The verdict of the judges is expected to be delivered at the end of this month as soon as possible and even if it is convicted and delivers a prison sentence, Rubiales could delay his imprisonment appealing.
In any case, prison sentences of two years or less are normally suspended for criminals for the first time.
In addition to a prison sentence, prosecutors also said in their prior accusation that they wanted Rubiales to pay beautiful £ 85,000 in compensation if they are convicted.