MADRID – Teammates of Jenni Hermoso corroborated her account of being distraught and angered by the World Cup kiss from former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales after they testified at his sexual assault trial on Thursday.
Rubiales, who has but to testify on the trial in Madrid, has beforehand claimed that Hermoso agreed to the kiss that happened through the awards ceremony after Spain gained the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup ultimate in Sydney.
Hermoso testified on Monday that the kiss was unsolicited. She additionally stated she was repeatedly pressured by Rubiales and his officers to say in any other case.
Teammate Alexia Putellas informed how Hermoso wept on the flight dwelling to Spain from the victory in Australia as a result of Rubiales allegedly tried to get her to make a video with him to answer the public criticism that erupted after he grabbed her head and positioned a kiss on her lips earlier than a worldwide televised viewers.
“She stated how (Rubiales) wouldn’t cease telling her his model of the occasions and asking her to return out and say that she had consented to the kiss, that she ought to do it for his daughters,” Putellas stated. “She was mad. She stated she informed him that he didn’t have to inform her what occurred as a result of she had been there, that she was not going to seem with him (in a video) and to go away her alone.”
Putellas, a two-time world participant of the 12 months, testified through video from a courthouse in Barcelona, as did Irene Paredes.
Paredes informed how she was the primary participant to see the gravity of the scenario when different teammates began to joke concerning the kiss within the locker room throughout their victory celebrations. The defender additionally associated how Hermoso turned more and more upset as a result of she stated federation officers insisted on her defending Rubiales from mounting outcry towards him within the media, politicians and different sports activities personalities.
“Jenni was apprehensive, she was upset,” Paredes stated. “She cried as she informed us what was occurring as a result of it was changing into an excessive amount of for her when all she wished to do was rejoice what we had achieved.”
Their testimonies backed up these given by goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez and Hermoso’s brother on Wednesday.
Prosecutors, Hermoso and the Spain gamers’ affiliation need Rubiales jailed for 2 and a half years, fined 50,000 euros ($51,800) for damages, and banned from working as a sports activities official.
Rubiales, 47, tried to cling to his job however resigned three weeks later and was banned by FIFA for 3 years. Rubiales stated he was the sufferer of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
Three different federation officers, together with former coach Jorge Vilda, are being tried for allegedly coercing Hermoso to again Rubiales. The three have but to testify and beforehand denied any wrongdoing. They face a 12 months and a half of jail time if discovered responsible.
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