Many people may know that Spain beat England in the Women’s World Cup this year, making them the second country to win both men’s and women’s world cups. However, they are currently arguing over this cup’s events rather than celebrating them.
According to CBS News, this year at the Women’s World Cup, there was an act of sexual assault committed by Spain’s 46-year-old soccer chief, Luis Rubiales. He non-consensually kissed 33-year-old forward, Jenni Hermoso, after Spain’s victory on Aug. 20th in Sydney, Australia. This led to a seven-hour boycott by Hermoso’s teammates on RFEF officials, the National Sports Council, and the women’s players’ union, FUTPRO. They reportedly asked “for significant change amidst the scandal,” Eurosport states.
Weeks later, Luis Rubiales resigned from his position as the President of RFEF because of the non-consensual kiss. “I have resigned as President of RFEF,” he said on X, the platform that replaced Twitter. RFEF later confirmed his resignation.
After Rubiales’s resignation, Spain’s second deputy prime minister, Yolanda Díaz, also wrote on X, “The feminist country is advancing faster and faster. The transformation and improvement of our lives is inevitable. We are with you, Jenni, and with all women,” CNN states. This quote reveals the involvement of important figures in the fight against sexual assault.
Also, according to the Los Angeles Times, this has opened the eyes of many, as previously, these acts were done in private. The fact that such an important person would do these things also suprised many people, showing that sexual violence is common. There has been an increase in protests against these acts since, which are valuable to victims, who are majorly women.
This event has shown many about the importance of consent. “A lot of people do things without consent, and it’s not right, at all. In fact, Luis Rubiales should be banned from FIFA and have charges pressed against him,” Rocky Hill Middle School 8th-grader Sharini Suresh said.
Everyone should always ask for consent before doing something, a sentiment that students in MCPS echo.
“It’s their body, their choice. No one should interfere with that,” Hallie Wells Middle School 7th-grader Ishita Ranka said. “if everyone spreads the word about sexual assault and consent, it will start a chain and there will be decrease in these acts. “
Written by Brindha Mahadevan of Hallie Wells Middle School
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons