Luis Rubiales’ elderly mother has locked herself in a church and gone on a hunger strike over the “inhumane witch-hunt” against her football chief son.
The wild act came as Spanish prosecutors announced they would open a preliminary investigation into Rubiales’ actions at the World Cup final when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips.
In a statement on Monday in Madrid, the Spanish national court said “prosecutors from the national court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault”.
The Spanish football boss has claimed the kiss after the end of the World Cup final between Spain and England in Sydney, just over a week ago, was “consensual” – but the player insists she never consented to a kiss on the lips.
Rubiales is resisting demands to step down from his role.
‘Tell the truth’
Despite Hermoso’s insistence she did not agree to the kiss, Rubiales’ mother Angeles Bejar has demanded Hermoso tell the “truth” about the incident that led to her son’s provisional suspension by FIFA on Friday, reported The Sun.
The retired hairdresser is carrying out her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalusia coastal resort of Motril, east of Malaga, where the suspended Spanish FA president grew up.
She began her hunger strike this morning accompanied by a sister, 48, hours after her son travelled to Motril for a holiday.
Ms Angeles, whose husband is a former mayor of Motril, says she will continue her radical action until her father-of-three son receives “justice”.
Left-wing Spanish politicians who branded the incident as “sexual violence” when footage of the kiss first emerged are now being supported by mainstream commentators in condemning what happened.
The England Women’s football team and male players like Andres Iniesta have also criticised Rubiales, who was expected to resign on Friday before saying he would fight attempts to oust him.
Rubiales’ parent has branded her son’s treatment a “inhumane and bloody witch-hunt”.
She told Spanish press: “They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve”.
Repeating the version of events outlined by her son in his public defence of his actions, she added: “There’s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties”.
“My son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.”
The pensioner and her sister are understood to have entered the church after the priest left this morning.
Family ‘suffering’
Spanish TV presenter Patricia Pardo called the latest development in the Kissgate saga “surreal”.
Luis Rubiales’ cousin Vanesa Ruiz Bejar spoke on behalf of her family outside the church.
“There’s a campaign of harassment occurring that is very unfair,” she said.
“Luis’ mum who is a very religious person has sought refuge in God and started a hunger strike.
“She doesn’t want to come out of the church. We are all suffering a lot because of what’s happened to Luis which doesn’t seem at all fair to us,” she said.
“He’s been condemned already without being tried. It’s not normal. We want to be left alone. “The facts speak for them, there are videos, there are audio recordings.”
In a direct message to World Cup winner Hermoso, she added: “Jenni, say the truth.’
“Why has she changed her version three times? We have suffered a lot, we have had to leave our homes because of the harassment we’re suffering.
“We want to be left alone and see justice done and we want this woman to tell the truth. Jenni, ‘tell the truth!”
She went on to say Ms Bejar was in a very distressed state, adding: “She’s an elderly lady whose health is very delicate and she’s suffering a lot”.
“She’s crying all time and is not able to sleep and is not eating.
“The person that spends five minutes with Luis knows he’s a really good person with a big heart. He’s a very noble person.”
Asked when Ms Bejar’s hunger strike would continue to, she said, referring to Hermoso,: “Until that woman speaks and tells the truth. I’m not saying who’s the baddie and who’s the goodie here, but I just want Jenni to tell the truth.”
She insisted she had no idea where Rubiales was and whether he had been able to speak to
Local reports said two priests were inside the church with the women. No-one from the parish could immediately be reached for comment.
Police involved
Police later turned up at the church in Motril. Officers arrived as a cousin of Ms Bejar entered the church with a doctor, just before 2pm local time.
Uniformed officers from Spain’s National Police force stood outside the door to the church, which remained shut while the relative and medic were inside.
It was not immediately clear why the police had turned up, although there was no immediate suggestion they would seek to remove Luis Rubiales’ mum by force.
Internet memes showing footage of a woman ordering a huge breakfast at a cafe before starting her hunger strike have already started appearing online in Spain.
This story appeared in The Sun and is reproduced with permission.