A prosecutor has filed a complaint with Spain’s high court against suspended football federation president Luis Rubiales for sexual assault and coercion.
Rubiales kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup final win, which she says was not consensual.
It is now up to the court to present formal charges against the 46-year-old.
Hermoso’s complaint was one of sexual assault but prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil has also added an allegation of coercion when filing to the high court.
A statement from the prosecutor’s office said Hermoso told Gil that her relatives had suffered pressure from Rubiales and his “professional entourage” to say that she “justified and approved what happened”.
“The prosecutors request that Luis Rubiales be questioned as an accused and Jenni Hermoso as a victim,” the prosecutor’s office added.
It also requests that information is gathered from authorities in Australia, where the incident took place.
Prior to the kiss, Rubiales had been seen grabbing his crotch while celebrating Spain’s 1-0 win over England in Sydney.
A high court judge will now assess the complaint and decide whether to accept or archive the request.
If accepted, a magistrate will be assigned to lead an investigation, which will conclude either with a recommendation for the case to go to trial or be dismissed.
The charge of sexual assault under Spanish law can carry a punishment ranging from a fine to four years in prison.
Spanish prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation on 28 August, looking into whether the incident amounts to a crime of sexual assault.
At the time, Spain’s top criminal court said it was opening its investigation in light of the “unequivocal nature” of 33-year-old Hermoso’s statements, saying it was necessary “to determine their legal significance”.
