The world of Spanish football has been shaken by an affair that has been causing a stir for more than a week. Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales is at the heart of a preliminary investigation into alleged ‘sexual assault’ following a forced kiss on player Jennifer Hermoso during Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory celebration of football.
This affair, which has already been nicknamed the “#MeToo of Spanish football”, has sparked a wave of indignation in Spain and internationally. FIFA has suspended Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities for ninety days, pending the results of the investigation.
Footage captured at the celebration shows Luis Rubiales taking player Jennifer Hermoso by surprise and kissing her on the mouth. If the Spanish federation had initially presented this act as a spontaneous mutual gesture, Jennifer Hermoso finally declared that she had felt vulnerable and victim of sexual assault.
The Spanish public prosecutor’s office has decided to open a preliminary investigation into this case, describing the facts as “sexual assault”. Jennifer Hermoso is invited to contact the prosecution to be informed of her rights as a victim and to decide whether or not to file a complaint.
At the same time, the mother of Luis Rubiales has started a hunger strike to denounce what she considers to be harassment towards her son. She demands that Jennifer Hermoso “tell the truth” about what really happened.
This case highlights once again the problems of harassment and aggression in the world of sport, and in particular in football. She also stresses the importance of taking allegations of sexual assault seriously and empowering victims to speak up and file complaints.
The Spanish football world will now have to wait for the results of the investigation to know the possible consequences for Luis Rubiales. In the meantime, this case reminds us that the fight for equality and respect for women’s rights must be waged in all areas, including that of sport