Simon Hunter
SPANISH women’s football player Jenni Hermoso has called on the High Court to take action after statements from a sealed criminal case against ex-Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales were leaked to the Spanish press.
The latest of these leaks was her testimony to the High Court public prosecutor, during which she gave her side of the now-notorious kiss that Rubiales planted on her lips after Spain beat England 1-0 at the World Cup final in Sydney, Australia on August 20.
The video of her statements was obtained and broadcast by Spanish television channel Telecinco, and widely reported on in the print media.
The legal team for Hermoso passed a written request to the investigating judge in the case against Rubiales – who is facing charges of sexual assault and coercion – suggesting that upcoming testimony be put on hold in light of the leaks, news agency Europa Press reported.
What’s more, her lawyers have called for measures to be put in place to avoid any more testimony from being covered in the press and for an investigation so that the culprits behind the leaks can be found.
The legal team has also called for the leaks of recent weeks to be taken to Spain’s Data Protection Agency.
Hermoso’s sports agency TMJ issued a statement in which it said that ‘all lines have been crossed’, and that her ‘basic rights’ had been violated.
The judge in charge of the case has already restricted access to audio recordings in the case after a tape of Rubiales being questioned was leaked.
In the testimony that was leaked earlier this week, Hermoso stated that she ‘did not feel respected as a person’ after she received a ‘non-consensual kiss’ from Luis Rubiales.
Asked whether she had consented to the kiss and whether she felt violated at the time, she said: “I clearly felt like I had not been respected. At that moment I was not respected at any time, neither as a player nor as a person, I was living an experience that was historic.”
Rubiales, 46, is facing criminal charges of sexual assault and coercion for the allegedly unsolicited kiss, which he planted on Hermoso’s lips during the medal ceremony while holding each side of her head with his hands.
Read more:
- Jenni Hermoso says she ‘did not feel respected as a person’ after ‘non-consensual kiss’
- Disgraced former football chief Luis Rubiales tells High Court that Jenni Hermoso kiss was consensual
- More bad news for Luis Rubiales as home town of Motril moots stripping him of gold medal honour
