Spanish prosecutors accuse Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion for kissing a player at World Cup

BARCELONA, Spain: Spanish state prosecutors have accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion for kissing a player without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final, the country’s prosecutors’ office said Friday.
Rubiales, the now-suspended president of the Spanish soccer federation, kissed Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney, Australia.
Prosecutors presented a case against Rubiales to Spain’s National Court in Madrid two days after Hermoso formally accused him of sexual assault.
According to a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault.
Prosecutors added Friday that Rubiales could have committed an act of coercion when, according to Hermoso, he pressured her to speak out in his defense immediately after the scandal erupted regarding his behavior.
Rubiales has insisted the kiss was consensual.