MADRID — The mom of Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales began a hunger strike Monday in a church in southern Spain in protection of her son, who’s underneath fireplace for kissing a participant right through the Women’s World Cup awards rite.
Ángeles Béjar advised the state news company EFE she would stay on hunger strike “night and day” till an answer is located to the “inhumane hounding” of her son.
Speaking outdoor the church in the southern the city of Motril, Rubiales’ cousin, Vanessa Ruiz, joined his mom in calling at the participant, Jenni Hermoso, to “tell the truth.”
Hermoso has denied Rubiales’ declare that she consented to what he referred to as the “mutual” kiss right through the Aug. 20 medal rite after the Spanish ladies’s workforce gained the general in Sydney, Australia.
In a commentary Saturday, Hermoso stated she regarded as herself the sufferer of abuse of energy and accused the Spanish soccer federation of making an attempt to force her into supporting Rubiales. The federation hit again via announcing she used to be mendacity and that it will take felony motion in opposition to her.
On Monday, the National Court’s Prosecutors Office stated it used to be opening a initial investigation into whether or not the kiss constituted a sexual aggression offense and stated it will give Hermoso 15 days to report a proper criticism as an alleged sufferer of sexual aggression.
Rubiales got here in for a hurricane of complaint following the kiss which used to be interpreted via many as sexual abuse. Earlier right through the medal celebrations, Rubiales additionally grabbed his crotch in a victory gesture whilst in the presidential field and shut to Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter, Princess Sofia.
FIFA, the sector soccer frame, provisionally suspended him on Saturday for 90 days after he gave a defiant speech and refused to surrender.
Spain is hoping the rustic’s sports activities tribunal, which resolves felony problems in sports activities, will take away Rubiales definitively. Victor Francos, head of the federal government’s sports activities frame, stated the tribunal has but to tell it what it intends to do about Rubiales.
Francos additionally expressed fear over how the problem would possibly have an effect on Spain’s bid to hang the 2030 World Cup with Portugal, Morocco and most likely Ukraine.
The scandal has brought about a commotion in Spain and in another country.
On Monday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric criticized what he referred to as a “critical issue of sexism” in sports activities, including: “We hope the Spanish authorities and the Spanish government deal with this in a manner that respects the rights of all female athletes.”
Acting deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz met Monday with soccer union representatives with a view to removing Rubiales and changing the way equality issues are managed in Spanish soccer. “There has to be a profound renewal of the sporting structure in our country,” she said at a news conference.
The Spanish soccer federation was to meet with regional federations about what steps to take following FIFA’s temporary suspension of their leader.
Meanwhile, several hundred people waving purple women’s rights placards gathered in the center of Madrid for an anti-Rubiales protest and to support Hermoso.
The archbishopric for the southern province of Granada, which oversees the church where Rubiales’ mother declared her hunger strike, told The Associated Press it would have no comment on her action.
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AP writers Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Luis Andres Henao in Princeton, N.J., contributed to this report.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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AP Women’s World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup
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