Jenni Hermoso accuses Luis Rubiales of sexual assault, Spanish prosecutors confirm

Spanish football player Jenni Hermoso has accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault for kissing her without consent following her team's Women's World Cup victory, prosecutors have said.

Prosecutors had said last week they planned to meet Hermoso to give her the opportunity to present an accusation against Rubiales.

She filed the legal complaint on Tuesday, they said.

According to a new sexual consent law passed in Spain last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty, said the prosecutor's office.

ITV News Reporter Ellie Pitt explains the significance of the latest development

Rubiales - who was suspended as president of the Spanish football federation following his behaviour - has insisted the kiss was consensual. Hermoso denies this.

Hermoso also said she and her family were pressured by the federation to show her support for Rubiales in the immediate aftermath of the scandal caused by the kiss that tarnished her team’s victory.

Rubiales grabbed Hermoso's head and kissed her on the lips during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on August 20 in Sydney, Australia.

Spain’s government, players’ unions, football players and many citizens across the world have come out in support of Hermoso.

Rubiales, meanwhile, has become a football outcast while he refuses to resign.

He was suspended from his post by Fifa on August 27, a day after he repeatedly refused to step down from his post during a defiant speech to the general assembly of his federation.

Rubiales has claimed he was victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”

Hermoso, a 33-year-old forward, plays for Mexican club Pachuca after a long career with top Spanish and European clubs, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid.

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