On Monday, a judge at Spain's highest criminal court initiated a probe into former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales. This action comes in response to a lawsuit filed regarding his non-consensual kiss on Jenni Hermoso's lips following the Women's World Cup final.
Judge Francisco de Jorge from the National Court has accepted the complaint filed by Spanish prosecutors last week. The complaint pertains to alleged "crimes of sexual assault" and "coercion," as stated in the court's official statement.

Additionally, the magistrate has requested media organizations to provide him with footage from various perspectives capturing Rubiales' kiss, as well as the celebrations of the Spain players in the dressing room and on the team bus following their World Cup victory on August 20 in Sydney.
The public prosecutor's office filed a complaint against Rubiales last week, requesting that "a statement be taken from Luis Rubiales, as a defendant, and from Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso as a victim".

Since a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a criminal category that groups together all types of sexual violence.
The penalties for a forced kiss can range from a fine to four years in prison, according to sources from the public prosecutor's Office.
De Jorge's decision came the day after Rubiales announced his resignation as Spain's RFEF football federation president, after initially refusing to do so claiming that the kiss had been "consensual". In an open letter announcing his decision the 46-year-old continued to defend himself.
"I have faith in the truth and I will do everything in my power so that it prevails," Rubiales wrote.

Australian police told AFP on Monday they were willing to help with an investigation, but that a report had not yet been referred to them.
In a statement posted on social media, Hermoso, 33, a player for the Mexican club Pachuca, claimed the unwelcome kiss left her feeling "vulnerable and like the victim of an assault." She also called it "an impulsive, macho act, out of place, and without any type of consent on my part."
As soon as the controversy over the kiss started, she said Rubiales pressured her to defend him. According to the prosecution, this might have been constituted coercion.