Luis Rubiales: Former Spanish FA President summoned by judge in Jenni Hermoso kiss case | Football

Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spain's football federation, has been summoned to testify before a Spanish judge investigating the controversial kiss he planted on player Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup.

Judge Francisco de Jorge has mandated that Rubiales appear before him on Friday at Spain's National Court in Madrid. This development comes after Rubiales was accused of alleged sexual assault and coercion by Spanish state prosecutors last week.

The incident in question took place during the awards ceremony after Spain's victory over England in the Women's World Cup final on August 20 in Sydney, Australia. Rubiales claimed that Hermoso had given her consent for the kiss, but she vehemently denied this.

In the wake of the scandal, Rubiales announced his resignation from his post. He had already been provisionally suspended by FIFA. De Jorge is overseeing the preliminary investigation into the accusations against Rubiales and will determine whether the case should proceed to trial.

Under a sexual consent law enacted in Spain last year, Rubiales could face severe consequences if found guilty of sexual assault, including a fine or a prison sentence ranging from one to four years. This law eliminated the legal distinction between "sexual harassment" and "sexual assault," treating all non-consensual sexual acts as serious offenses.

The upcoming testimony from Rubiales is expected to shed further light on this unusual and controversial incident that has captured the attention of the sports world and ignited a legal and ethical debate regarding consent and boundaries in sports.

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