The players of the Spanish soccer team Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Misa Rodríguez went to court this Monday morning to testify as witnesses before the judge of the National Court investigating the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). ) Luis Rubiales for the kiss he gave the player Jennifer Hermoso at the World Cup trophy presentation in Sydney (Australia).
According to legal sources, the three have confirmed the details of the complaint against Rubiales for the crimes of sexual assault and coercion of Hermoso and his entourage. Each of them have confirmed what happened hours and days after the World Cup final to the best of their knowledge. Sources from the Prosecutor's Office believe that the story of the three has been coherent.
In their versions they have explained to the judge that initially, in the locker room, they joked about the kiss because they did not appreciate the importance it had. They had just won the Women's Soccer World Cup and were euphoric. Shortly afterward they realized that it could be something serious and then they stopped making jokes about it.
As national team players, they were present when Rubiales kissed Hermoso during the celebration, in addition to witnessing what happened in the locker room, on the return trip to Spain, and during subsequent days when they shared a leisure trip after finishing the competition. According to sources present at the interrogation, Hemoso would have told his teammates that his coach at the time, Jorge Vilda, was pressuring him to come out in defense of Rubiales.
Putellas was the first player to come forward to defend Hermoso after what happened. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner wanted to give her opinion through social networks after Rubiales' words during the Extraordinary Assembly in which she refused to resign and recounted how the kiss was consensual.
Hermoso's partner described the situation as "unacceptable" and showed her support for the soccer player. "This is unacceptable. It's over. With you, partner," she said.
The Prosecutor's Office decided to include the crime of coercion against Rubiales after taking a statement from Hermoso, who must now ratify his version before the judge. She recounted how the environment of the then president of the RFEF put pressure on the player and her family to support him and come out publicly to defend her actions.
Hermoso always refused and in fact finally issued a statement in which he maintained that he felt "vulnerable and a victim of aggression."
Rubiales has always denied the major and maintained that that kiss was consensual after asking the player moments before: "a little peck?", to which, according to the president of the RFEF, the player said yes. This conversation has been flatly denied by Hermoso herself.
Judge Francisco de Jorge wants to go to the end of the crime of coercion. He has already taken a statement from Hermoso's brother, who has handed over his phone number so that the Court can corroborate the pressures suffered through the messages received.
After listening to his brother, the magistrate summoned the press officer of the women's soccer team, Patricia Pérez, who also confirmed that she received pressure from federation officials. According to her statement, she was pressured to issue a statement through which Hermoso defended that the kiss was consensual.
After listening to this testimony, De Jorge expanded the investigation to the former women's soccer coach Jorge Vilda and the directors of the Men's National Team, Albert Luque, and of RFEF Marketing, Rubén Rivera, who are now listed in the case as being investigated by the coercion and so they will have to testify.
