Spanish Court Imposes Restraining Order on Former Soccer Head Luis Rubiales After World Cup Kiss

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Disgraced former head of Spain's soccer federation Luis Rubiales will not be allowed within 200 metres of player Jenni Hermoso after he allegedly kissed her on the lips non-consensually.

A Spanish court has imposed a restraining order on the former president of the country’s football federation, forbidding him from communicating with, or coming within 200 metres of, the female player he controversially kissed after Spain’s World Cup victory last month.

The incident, which occurred at the medal ceremony after Spain’s women’s team won the World Cup in Sydney, Australia, on August 20, has triggered a furore over sexism in Spanish sport and society and prompted protests similar to the #MeToo movement.

46-year-old Rubiales, insists the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso says it was forced on her.

The order prevents Rubiales from trying to contact Hermoso or coming within 200 metres (0.12 miles) of her, according to a court statement. Judge Francisco de Jorge rejected a request by the prosecution that Rubiales should report to the court every two weeks.

Dressed in a black suit over a white shirt, Rubiales left the High Court in Madrid with his lawyer Olga Tubau following a closed-door investigative hearing that lasted about an hour. He did not speak to the media waiting outside.

His hearing came as the World Cup-winning footballers said they would continue their boycott of the national team unless there are more reforms at the Spanish football federation, despite Rubiales’s resignation over the affair.

Dozens of journalists were on hand as the 46-year-old left Madrid’s Audiencia Nacional court after he was questioned by Judge Francisco de Jorge who is heading up the investigation.

He was questioned at the closed-door hearing as a defendant in regards to allegations of “sexual assault”. Hermoso will also be called to testify at a later date.

The case comes about four weeks after Rubiales sparked outrage with the act in front of the world’s media after Spain defeated England in the final.

Under a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a nonconsensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category which groups all types of sexual violence.

If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources at the public prosecutors’ office have said.