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Spain’s Hermoso testifies World Cup kiss was not consensual

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Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso, a World Cup winner, has testified in a Madrid court that a kiss from former football federation president Luis Rubiales was not consensual. The incident occurred after the World Cup final last year when Rubiales allegedly grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips. The judge will now decide whether Rubiales should face trial for sexual assault and coercion. Hermoso, Spain’s top scorer, emphasized that the kiss was unexpected and non-consensual during her two-and-a-half-hour testimony, reiterating her previous statements leaked to Spanish TV. The court is examining evidence, including CCTV footage, to determine if the case should go to trial.

The kiss, which took place during the medal ceremony in Sydney after Spain’s victory over England, initially seemed consensual based on a statement attributed to Hermoso shortly after the final. However, she later claimed that she was pressured by Spanish football federation officials to endorse the statement. Rubiales, who denies the allegations, is also being investigated for possible coercion related to the pressure on Hermoso. Other figures under investigation include the coach Jorge Vilda, federation executives Albert Luque and Rubén Rivera.

Hermoso stated that she did not want the kiss and felt like a victim of assault, highlighting that, under Spanish law, a kiss without consent can be considered a form of sexual assault. Despite Rubiales asserting it was a consensual peck, he resigned as president of the Spanish football federation following the incident. An investigation was initiated, and he was prohibited from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters by an investigating judge. The case has drawn attention beyond football, making Hermoso a notable figure in discussions about equality and solidarity.

On New Year’s Eve, Hermoso expressed gratitude for the positive changes in terms of equality and solidarity and congratulated her Spain teammates for the empowerment achieved. At 33, she announced a club change, leaving Pachuca in Mexico, where she played since 2022, for Tigres UANL, the country’s most successful women’s team.

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France murders: Man held after mother and children killed in Meaux

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A 33-year-old man has been apprehended by French police on suspicion of murdering his wife and four children in Meaux, a suburb 40km northeast of Paris. The victims, a woman, and her children aged between nine months and 10 years, were found dead in their apartment. Prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier described the crime scene as marked by “extreme violence” with pools of blood present. The flat showed no signs of forced entry, and the father was absent.

The investigation began when a concerned neighbor, unable to reach the family and noticing closed shutters, discovered blood on the door handle and in front of the door. The police, following CCTV footage, traced and arrested the suspect at his father’s residence in Sevran. The suspect was known to the police due to a previous domestic violence incident in 2019, a month before the birth of their third child, where he attacked his partner with a knife.

The Versailles judicial police service is conducting the investigation, revealing that the mother and her two eldest daughters had numerous stab wounds, while the two youngest were likely strangled or drowned. Post-mortem examinations for the younger children are scheduled for Wednesday. The suspect, described as previously undergoing treatment, had documents suggesting potential psychiatric hospital admission in 2017 and a prescription for tranquilizers.

Neighbors mentioned that the mother was friendly, while the father, who had faced job loss, exhibited signs of depression. The 2019 domestic violence case was dropped due to the partner’s mental health. This incident adds to a series of recent infanticides in the Paris region, including a man confessing to killing his three daughters in November and a policeman committing filicide before suicide in October.

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Italian court jails parents for life over ‘honour killing’ of Pakistani teen

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An Italian court has sentenced a Pakistani couple to life in prison for the murder of their 18-year-old daughter, Saman Abbas. She was killed because she refused an arranged marriage, and her body was discovered at a farmhouse in northern Italy in November 2022, 18 months after she went missing.

Saman’s father, Shabbar Abbas, was arrested in Pakistan and extradited for trial in August. He pleaded his innocence, expressing disbelief at the idea of killing his daughter. Saman’s mother, Nazia Shaheen, was convicted in absentia as she is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan.

The court also sentenced Saman’s uncle, Danish Hasnain, to 14 years in jail for his involvement in the murder. However, two of her cousins were acquitted. Saman Abbas’s murder, labeled an “honour killing,” shocked Italy, leading to a fatwa against forced marriages by Italy’s union of Islamic communities.

Saman had moved with her family from Pakistan to Novellara in 2016. Her relationship with a young man drew her parents’ anger, and they wanted her to undergo an arranged marriage in Pakistan in 2020, which she refused. After living under social services’ protection, she returned home in April 2021, only to disappear shortly afterward.

CCTV footage showed family members carrying tools on the night of her disappearance. Saman’s body was found near the family’s home after her uncle revealed the burial location. The autopsy indicated a broken neck, suggesting strangulation.

While her father and uncle were apprehended in 2022, her mother remains at large in Pakistan. The court convicted both parents, despite Shabbar Abbas’s claims of innocence, stating that the trial is incomplete, and he wants to know who killed his daughter.

“Honour killings” are rooted in tribal customs where allegations against a woman bring dishonour to the family. These crimes are often committed when a woman refuses an arranged marriage or faces accusations of inappropriate behavior. In Pakistan, “honour killings” of women occur frequently, while a smaller number involve men. Recently, another similar incident occurred in the Kohistan district, where an 18-year-old woman was killed by her father and uncle based on doctored photos showing her with a man.

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