Prosecutors demand Luis Rubiales World Cup kiss retrial

(BBC) Spanish prosecutors have demanded a retrial in the case of former football federation president Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent.

In February, Rubiales was fined 10,800 euros for that offence but found not guilty of coercion over allegations he pressured Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual.

Prosecutors have called for Rubiales to be jailed and appealed that verdict, seeking a retrial with a different judge after alleging the original was biased in Rubiales’s favour.

Rubiales grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips as Spain’s players received their medals for winning the 2023 World Cup.

The incident, which occurred after Spain defeated England in Sydney, was witnessed by millions on television and in the stadium, and triggered protests and calls for Rubiales’s resignation.

The 47-year-old previously said he will appeal against the guilty verdict.

Three of Rubiales’s former colleagues were also accused of colluding in the alleged coercion.

Jorge Vilda, coach of the World Cup-winning side, Rubén Rivera, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)’s former head of marketing, and Albert Luque, former sporting director, were all cleared.

The court’s ruling also banned the former football president from going within a 200m radius of Hermoso or communicating with her for one year.