In a case that sparked a national uproar, Spain’s High Court convicted former soccer federation leader Luis Rubiales shameful of sexual harassment for kissing athlete Jenni Hermoso without her permission and fined him more than {10,000 euros ($10,434)}.

In a decision obtained by Reuters, the court stated that it cleared him of a charge of coercion. “I will continue to keep fighting,” Rubiales informed Reuters when he announced his intention to file an appeal.

For the event, which sparked an argument about sexism in women’s football and Spanish culture at large and fueled the “Me Too” movement in Spain, prosecutors had asked for a jail term for Rubiales, (47).

Also Read: Pakistan To Host England Cricket Team For 2025 Champions Trophy

The (3) co-defendants of Rubiales, who were charged with trying to force Hermoso to claim the kiss at the 2023 World Cup awards event in Sydney was consensual, were also cleared by the court. Spain won the championship, but it was dominated by the controversy that followed.

Throughout the trial this month, Rubiales, who is the subject of a separate corruption probe investigating commissions paid over an important arrangement to host the Spanish Super Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia, has insisted that Hermoso had given his approval to be kissed during the festivities.

Rubiales Should Be Spared Time In Prison

But according to Judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto, he accepted Hermoso’s claim that she hadn’t. Rubiales was convicted of sexual assault by him. Although he acknowledged that this was “always reproachable,” he pointed out that because there was no threat or harassment, the incident was only mildly serious.

According to Fernandez-Prieto, Rubiales should be spared time in prison because it just featured a kiss rather than a more severe conduct. In his decision, he stated that “the pecuniary penalty, which is less serious than the protective sentence, must be chosen.”

The decision also prohibited Rubiales from speaking to Hermoso for a year and from traveling within {200 meters (218 yards)} of her. In addition, he must repay Hermoso with (3000 euros).Over the course of (18) months, the fine was set at (20 euros) each day.

On the other side Rubiales received a gross yearly salary of (675,762 euros) from the RFEF organization. Hermoso indicated throughout the trial that the unwanted kiss from her employer and everything that happened “polluted one of the happiest days of my life,” while her coworkers testified that it left her feeling overburdened, tearful, and worn out in the hours and days that followed.

Macho Opinions Are Still Common

In a nation where macho opinions are still common in some areas of society despite significant advancements in recent decades, the verdict—if not the light sentence—was generally praised as a triumph for women’s rights.

“The judge verifies in this sentence that abuse occurs when there is no consent. In Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s communist government, Equality Minister Ana Redondo wrote on X that “the victim’s word is honored, as the law indicates, and cannot be questioned.”

Even though she criticized the “minimum fine and damages,” famous feminist lawmaker and European Parliament member Irene Montero felt the verdict was a win for the cause.

It looked unimaginable not long ago that a judge would consider an unconsented kiss to be sexual assault. Everything is changing because of feminism: “Yes” means “yes,” she stated.

Reuters was informed by Hermoso’s attorney that his client must determine whether “she wishes to continue keeping up the fight.” The decision was seen as “a significant step forward in the defense of the rights of women and in the fight for a sport without abuse and injustice” by the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), a private prosecutor in the case.