Spanish footballer Jennifer Hermoso confirmed this Tuesday before the judge of the country's National Audience court that she did not give her consent to be kissed on the lips by the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, during the medal ceremony after Spain's World Cup victory and that she felt coerced by all those investigated over the case. Hermoso has reiterated before the judge Francisco de Jorge what she earlier told the National Audience prosecutor, Marta Durántez, before the case was opened. The player repeated her statement that the kiss was unexpected, and in no way consensual. In addition, she reiterated that after the kiss she suffered constant pressure, both on the flight back from Australia to Spain and then during the subsequent trip made by the World Cup-winning players to Ibiza. A situation which, as she detailed, has affected her normal life, causing her distress and sadness.
"I didn't expect it"
Jenni Hermoso repeated to the judge what she had already said to the prosecutor. In that statement, the international footballer affirmed that she had not felt respected by the person who at the time was the most senior official in Spain's football federation. "I was subjected to something that I did not seek at any time, nor did I do anything to put myself in this situation," she detailed. "I found myself with a kiss on the mouth and immediately I went on down to the dais with my colleagues," recalled Hermoso when asked by the prosecutor. "I didn't even expect it," added the athlete. At this point, the player recalled that winning the World Cup was a "historic event" that cost her "a lifetime to achieve it".
"At no time could I have expected something like this to happen at the end (...) For a person who is trusted, I don't think anyone would expect him to use that moment to do something like this, no matter how spontaneous it was," reproached the Madrid-born player, who also explained that when she left the dais she told her teammates Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes what had happened with Rubiales. The footballer denied the version given by Rubiales, who declared that it had been a consensual kiss, and she reiterated that she was coerced by the then-president of the RFEF and three other people, including the then-coach Jorge Vilda, who is also investigated in this case.
Hermoso's statement to the court closes the round of testimonies that have seen twenty people make statements to the National Audience, both witnesses and those under investigation as defendants. After the Spanish forward's statement, the judge may or may not request new appearances.