LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Former Spain FA president Luis Rubiales has been summoned to provide testimony before a Spanish judge who is investigating an incident at the Women’s World Cup where he kissed a player.
According to court documents obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, Judge Francisco de Jorge has mandated Rubiales to answer questions at Spain’s National Court in Madrid this Friday.
The controversy arose when Rubiales kissed Spain player Jennifer Hermoso during the awards ceremony following Spain’s victory over England in Sydney, Australia, last month. Rubiales claimed that Hermoso had given consent for the kiss, but Hermoso denied this.
Last week, Spanish state prosecutors formally charged Rubiales with alleged sexual assault and coercion for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to publicly defend him immediately after the scandal emerged.
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On Sunday, Rubiales announced his resignation from his post, which had already been temporarily suspended by FIFA.
Judge de Jorge is currently conducting the preliminary investigation into the allegations against Rubiales and will subsequently determine whether the case should proceed to trial.
Under a sexual consent law enacted in Spain last year, Rubiales could face penalties ranging from fines to a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault.
This law abolished the distinction between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” penalizing any non-consensual sexual act.
