Rubiales’ mother starts hunger strike in support of her son – 08/28/2023 – Sport

The mother of Luis Rubiales, suspended from his position in charge of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for the forced kiss on the player Jenni Hermoso, started this Monday (28) a hunger strike in support of her son, announced a cousin of Rubiales .

Ángeles Béjar started his demonstration inside the church of Divina Pastora in the town of Motril, in Andalusia. According to Vanessa Ruiz Béjar, Rubiales’ cousin who made a statement in front of the church, the protest will continue until Hermoso “tells the truth”.

“His mother, who is a very religious person, took refuge in God, started a hunger strike and doesn’t want to leave the church,” said Vanessa, who denounced a campaign of “harassment” and an attempt to overthrow Rubiales.

“We want Jenni to tell the truth because she changed her statement three times. We had to leave the house, they keep harassing us, that’s not fair, we want them to leave us alone and that justice is done”, added the cousin. from Rubiales.

Rubiales, who grew up in Motril, was suspended on Saturday by Fifa (International Football Federation) “from all activities related to football at national and international level” for 90 days “while the disciplinary process” opened against him for the kiss in Hermoso .

Rubiales’ kiss on the mouth of the Spanish women’s national team player, at the medal ceremony for the women’s World Cup, won by Spain, provoked numerous criticisms and reactions of national and international condemnation.

Shortly after the kiss, Hermoso said, referring to what happened, through an Instagram message: “I didn’t like it, huh!”.

Shortly afterwards, a statement from the RFEF brought an alleged statement from the athlete, who would have called the gesture “mutual, totally spontaneous for the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings”.

But on Friday, the 33-year-old said she felt “vulnerable and a victim of aggression” when Rubiales kissed her. “It was an impulsive, sexist, inappropriate act and without any kind of consent on my part.”

On the same Friday, Rubiales refused to resign during an extraordinary general meeting of the RFEF, in which he stated that the kiss was “consented”.