Jenni Hermoso has been backed by the United Nations Human Rights office after being kissed by Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales.
The UN organisation said everyone has a responsibility to “call out and challenge” sexual harassment and abuse.
Hermoso said the kiss on her lips following Spain’s Women’s World Cup final win was not consensual, which Rubiales strenuously disputes.
Rubiales has been criticised for his behaviour but has refused to resign.
He has taken that stance despite being provisionally suspended for 90 days by world governing body Fifa from all football activities.
“Women in sport continue to face sexual harassment and abuse – every one of us has the responsibility to call out and challenge such abuse,” the UN body stated on X, formerly Twitter.
“We join Spain’s Jenni Hermoso and all those working to end abuse and sexism in sport. Make this a turning point.”
The message was posted using the UNHR’s official account, which has four million followers. The post also includes the X handle of UN human rights commissioner Volker Turk and the hashtag #SeAcabo – which translates as ‘It’s over’ and has been widely used by supporters of Hermoso.
Spanish prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into whether the incident amounts to a crime of sexual assault.
Government acting ‘diligently and firmly’ on Rubiales
Spain’s acting minister for sport Miquel Iceta has defended the Spanish government over the time it is taking to process the Rubiales case.
Iceta said the CSD, Spain’s national sports council, submitted a petition to the country’s Sports Tribunal (TAD) on Saturday to provisionally suspend Rubiales for two “very serious” alleged offences.
The TAD met on Monday to discuss the request, with a decision not immediately announced.
“The government is advancing diligently and firmly,” Iceta told a news conference. “We want this matter to be resolved as soon as possible, but rigorously and with all the legal guarantees to prevent an appeal from revoking the decisions that are made.
“We have acted as soon as the legal mechanisms have allowed us to do so. The government can act reactively but not preventively.
“Once the court admits our complaint for processing, we can convene the CSD board of directors in 48 hours where we are going to propose the suspension of the former president of the federation until the final resolution of the court is produced.”
Regional leaders from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) held an extraordinary general meeting with interim president Pedro Rocha on Monday where they called for a restructuring of the organisation.
However, a third of the local football association bosses do not want to sack Rubiales so they only went as far as releasing a statement calling on him to resign, which he has so far refused to do.
