After he was caught on camera kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, regional leaders of the Spanish Football Federation have demanded that the federation’s president, Luis Rubiales, quit immediately.
After the event that occurred immediately after Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup final, Rubiales, who is 46 years old, has been under intense scrutiny.
Hermoso, who is 33 years old, claimed that the kiss on her lips was not voluntary.
Earlier, prosecutors in Spain started a preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not the encounter constitutes a crime of sexual assault.
In related news from Monday, Rubiales’ mother Angeles Bejar has barricaded herself inside a church in Spain and is currently participating in a hunger strike in order to protest the treatment of her son. Protests in favor of Hermoso and against Rubiales were organized by various feminist groups and took place in the evening in the center of Madrid. Hundreds of people participated in these demonstrations.
The governing body of international football, Fifa, suspended Rubiales on Saturday, a day after he vowed that he would not quit and that the kiss was “mutual and consensual.” Rubiales had made these statements the day before.
“After recent events and the unacceptable behavior that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the federation (RFEF) said in a statement on Monday, following an extraordinary meeting of its regional presidents. “After recent events and the unacceptable behavior that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football,” the statement continued.
In addition to this, the presidents provided Pedro Rocha, the interim chief of the RFEF, with their “unanimous support” and demanded that the federation’s management be restructured.
The statement went on to say, “We will urge the relevant authorities to carry out a profound and imminent organizational restructuring in strategic positions of the federation in order to make way for a new stage in the management of Spanish football.” In other words, “we will urge the relevant authorities to carry out a profound and imminent organizational restructuring in strategic positions of the federation.”
When Fifa made the announcement that Rubiales had been suspended on Saturday, it also issued an order telling him, the RFEF, and its officials and employees not to make any attempt to get in touch with Hermoso, who the RFEF had earlier that day threatened with legal action.
In the meantime, on Monday, the Sports Tribunal (TAD) of Spain held a meeting to evaluate the request made by the Spanish government to suspend Rubiales. A decision has not yet been issued by the TAD.
Initial inquiries were made on the matter.
In view of the “unequivocal nature” of Hermoso’s claims, Spain’s highest criminal court said that it would be commencing its inquiry, stating that it was necessary “to determine the legal significance” of Hermoso’s statements.
“Given the public statements made by Jennifer Hermoso, the sexual act that she was subjected to by Luis Rubiales was not consensual,” stated a statement. “Given the public statements made by Jennifer Hermoso,”
In addition, legal professionals will get in touch with the athlete “to offer her the option of legal action, giving her the chance to contact National Court prosecutors within 15 days for information about her rights as a victim of an alleged sexual assault should she wish to file a complaint,” according to the statement.
The following was added to the statement: “In order to proceed with a case for sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual abuse, it will be necessary for the injured party or their legal representative to file suit, or the public prosecutors’ office.”
Players and lovers of football are back. Jenni Hermoso involved in a kissing scandal
The mother of Rubiales participates in a hunger strike.
Angeles Bejar, Rubiales’s mother, has taken refuge at the Divina Pastora church in Motril, which is located on the southern coast of Spain. Motril is the town where Rubiales was born and reared, and Bejar claims she has started a hunger strike in protest of the “inhuman hunt” being waged against her son.
She stated that the strike would continue “indefinitely, day and night” in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE. She also stated that the “inhuman and bloody hunt that they are doing with my son is something that he does not deserve.”
“We are suffering a lot for him,” said Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz, who functions as the family spokeswoman in Motril. He has been given a verdict before his time has come.
“They [the media] never take a break from tormenting us. We had no choice but to leave our home. We want them to leave us alone, and we want Jenni to be honest about what she saw. That’s not right,”
“Male chauvinism is institutionalized throughout Spain.”
Yolanda Diaz, the interim minister of labor for Spain, stated on Monday that male chauvinism was “systemic” in the country and had been displayed in its most extreme form in the incident involving Rubiales. Rubiales was the victim of this type of behavior.
Diaz, who is also the deputy prime minister and head of the Sumar coalition, which is on the far left of the political spectrum, has called for a change in social attitudes more generally in the country, as well as for more protection for victims of sexual harassment and assault. She made her remarks following a meeting with leaders of the women’s players’ organization Futpro, which represents Hermoso. “On Friday, we saw the worst of Spanish society, of the structural machismo of this country,” she stated.
“They clapped, humiliated, and made fun of a person they had the obligation to protect under the sports law and far from doing that, they inflicted more damage, more pain, and more vexation.” “They inflicted more damage, more pain, and more vexation.”
How did things get to the position that they are now?
During the ceremony that took place after the World Cup final on August 20, Spanish striker Jenni Hermoso was congratulated by Luis Rubiales, who first embraced her and then kissed her on the lips.
Later, during a live stream, Hermoso gives her reaction to the kiss, and she adds that she “did not enjoy” it.
The 21st of August: Rubiales delivers an apology, claiming that he is “sorry for those who were offended,” after being harshly criticized by other football players, the media, and even the prime minister of Spain. Some of these individuals called for him to resign from his position as president of the Spanish soccer federation.
The 24th of August: Fifa, the governing body of football around the world, has initiated disciplinary processes to investigate Rubiales’ behavior.
25 August – A stubborn Rubiales says that he will not quit and deems the kiss “consensual” when attending an emergency meeting of the RFEF.
Monday, August 25 – The Spanish government has said that it will initiate legal processes in an effort to have Rubiales suspended, and the Spanish secretary of sport has stated that he “wants this to be Spanish football’s MeToo moment.”
Monday, August 25 – In the later hours of that day, Hermoso responded to Rubiales’ allegations by posting a message on Instagram. In it, he stated that “at no time… was his kiss ever consensual.”
Monday, August 25 – Until Rubiales is removed from his post, 81 Spanish players, including all 23 players who participated in the Women’s World Cup, declare that they would not play for Spain’s women’s team again.
Sunday, August 26 – According to statements made by the Spanish football association, legal action would be taken about “each falsehood that is spread.”
On August 26, FIFA made the announcement that it would be placing Rubiales on provisional suspension awaiting the result of its disciplinary proceedings.
On August 26, World Cup-winning head coach Jorge Vilda criticizes Rubiales, while his entire coaching staff resigns in protest against the president of the federation. Vilda led his team to victory in the tournament.
Monday, August 27 – A delegate for the sexual violence protocol of the Federation has confirmed that an internal investigation into the occurrences is currently underway.
On August 28, Rubiales’ mother begins a hunger strike inside of a church in Motril, the city where he grew up in.
On the 28th of August, Spanish prosecutors launch a first inquiry to determine whether or not the occurrence constitutes a crime of sexual assault.
