Spain's High Court said on Thursday it had found former football federation boss Luis Rubiales guilty of kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent and set a fine of over 10,000 ($10,434.00), but acquitted him of coercion.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for Rubiales in a case that sparked a debate in Spain about sexism in women's football and wider Spanish society. Rubiales said Hermoso consented to the kiss but she denied it.
Rubiales was cleared of the charge of coercion for trying to downplay the kiss on the lips of Hermoso during the awards ceremony after the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Sydney. The kiss sparked outrage in Spain and marred the celebrations of Spain's first Women's World Cup title.
Three other former Spanish federation members accused of coercion -- former women's team coach Jorge Vilda, sports director of the men's team Albert Luque, and head of marketing Ruben Rivera -- were also cleared of the charge of coercion.
The ruling also banned Rubiales from going within a 200-meter (yard) radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year. The fine was set at 20 per day over an 18-month period.
A lawyer for Hermoso was not immediately available for comment.
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
