Luis Rubiales given restraining order banning him from going near Jenni Hermoso after Women's World Cup kiss
15 September 2023, 13:58 | Updated: 15 September 2023, 15:13
Luis Rubiales has been given a restraining order, preventing him from approaching player Jenni Hermoso after kissing her on the lips at the Women's World Cup.
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Rubiales appeared in court on Friday to be investigated for sexual assault after the kiss at the final. The incident - seen by millions watching the game - caused an uproar online over sexism.
Prosecutors requested Rubiales be prevented from coming within 500 metres of Hermoso but the judge instead imposed a ban of him going within 200 metres.
Rubiales, 46, insists the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso says it was forced on her.
The court has also requested that he attend court every 15 days to stop him from potentially fleeing the country.
During the testimony, he denied the accusations, according to a statement by the prosecutor's office.
Read more: Suspended Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales to resign after Jenni Hermoso World Cup kiss scandal
Speaking after the hearing, Hermoso's lawyer, Carla Vall i Duran, said: "We can continue to affirm that the kiss was not consented to, which is what we have said from the very beginning.
"Thanks to the (images of the kiss), the entire world, the entire country, has been able to observe there was no type of consent. And we are going to prove that in the courtroom."
The former president of the football federation (RFEF) resigned from his position at the end of last week ahead of the closed court session.
It came after Hermoso told prosecutors that Rubiales kissed her on the mouth without her consent while holding her head with both hands.
State prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil filed a judicial complaint, adding a possible crime of coercion after Hermoso said she and her relatives were put under pressure by Rubiales and his entourage to say that she had approved what happened.
The court is yet to rule whether the case will go to trial.
