29-8-2023 (MADRID) Ángeles Béjar, the mother of embattled Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales, has embarked on a hunger strike inside a church, protesting against her son’s treatment, as confirmed by Rubiales’ cousin on Monday.
According to EFE, Béjar locked herself inside the church of the Divine Shepherdess in Rubiales’ hometown of Motril on Monday. She declared that her protest would continue until the “inhuman, bloodthirsty witch hunt” against her son came to an end.
Rubiales received a provisional 90-day suspension from all football-related activities by FIFA on Friday. Moreover, Spain’s Supreme Sports Council is seeking his removal from office, following his behavior after Spain’s Women’s World Cup final victory. This includes an unsolicited kiss on Spain player Jenni Hermoso, a gesture that Rubiales claims was consensual but Hermoso denies.
Refusing to resign over the issue, Rubiales has threatened legal action against Hermoso and her union, Futpro. Spain prosecutors have opened a preliminary sexual abuse investigation into the incident.
Béjar told EFE that her protest would continue “indefinitely, day and night” until Rubiales was vindicated. She stated, “There is no sexual abuse since there is consent on both sides, as the images prove… My son is incapable of hurting anyone.”
Reports indicate that Béjar locked herself inside the church in Motril, a town with a population of around 60,000 in the province of Granada, along with her sister after the priest had left.
Rubiales’ cousin, Vanessa Ruiz Béjar, confirmed to Teledeporte that his mother was on a hunger strike, expressing her concerns over the situation. She said, “This is very hard. To say that there is harassment is not fair… He has been judged ahead of time, and he should be left in peace. We want Jenni to tell the truth.”
A friendly football match called the “Friends of Rubiales,” featuring the RFEF president, was supposed to take place in Motril but was canceled on Saturday due to concerns over public order.
Rubiales’ conduct and his refusal to accept responsibility for his actions have garnered widespread condemnation from football clubs, players, and politicians, both within Spain and internationally.
Spain’s Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz commented on Monday that male chauvinism was “systemic” in the country and had manifested itself in its worst form. Díaz, who is also the deputy prime minister and the head of the far-left Sumar coalition, called for a broader change in social attitudes in Spain and better protection for victims of sexual harassment and violence.
