<\/p>\n
Luis Rubiales\u2019 elderly mother has locked herself in a church and gone on a hunger strike over the \u201cinhumane witch-hunt\u201d against her football chief son, as the Spanish football federation\u2019s regional presidents asked him to resign on Monday. <\/p>\n
The wild act also came as Spanish prosecutors announced they would open a preliminary investigation into Rubiales\u2019 actions at the World Cup final when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips.<\/p>\n
In a statement on Monday in Madrid, the Spanish national court said \u201cprosecutors from the national court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault\u201d.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cconsensual\u201d \u2013 but the player insists she never consented to a kiss <\/a>on the lips.<\/p>\n Rubiales is resisting demands to step down from his role. <\/p>\n The presidents said they backed interim chief Pedro Rocha, who called the meeting, to lead the organisation into \u201cdialogue and reconciliation with all football institutions\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018Tell the truth\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n Despite Hermoso\u2019s insistence she did not agree to the kiss, Rubiales\u2019 mother Angeles Bejar has demanded Hermoso tell the \u201ctruth\u201d about the incident that led to her son\u2019s provisional suspension by FIFA on Friday, reported The Sun<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n She began her hunger strike this morning accompanied by a sister, 48, hours after her son travelled to Motril for a holiday.<\/p>\n Ms Angeles, whose husband is a former mayor of Motril, says she will continue her radical action until her father-of-three son receives \u201cjustice\u201d.<\/p>\n Left-wing Spanish politicians who branded the incident as \u201csexual violence\u201d when footage of the kiss first emerged are now being supported by mainstream commentators in condemning what happened.<\/p>\n The England Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Rubiales\u2019 parent has branded her son\u2019s treatment a \u201cinhumane and bloody witch-hunt\u201d.<\/p>\n She told Spanish press: \u201cThey\u2019re doing to my son something he doesn\u2019t deserve\u201d.<\/p>\n Repeating the version of events outlined by her son in his public defence of his actions, she added: \u201cThere\u2019s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMy son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n The pensioner and her sister are understood to have entered the church after the priest left this morning.<\/p>\n Family \u2018suffering\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n Spanish TV presenter Patricia Pardo called the latest development in the Kissgate saga \u201csurreal\u201d.<\/p>\n Luis Rubiales\u2019 cousin Vanesa Ruiz Bejar spoke on behalf of her family outside the church.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a campaign of harassment occurring that is very unfair,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cLuis\u2019 mum who is a very religious person has sought refuge in God and started a hunger strike.<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t want to come out of the church. We are all suffering a lot because of what\u2019s happened to Luis which doesn\u2019t seem at all fair to us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been condemned already without being tried. It\u2019s not normal. We want to be left alone. \u201cThe facts speak for them, there are videos, there are audio recordings.\u201d<\/p>\n In a direct message to World Cup winner Hermoso, she added: \u201cJenni, say the truth.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWhy has she changed her version three times? We have suffered a lot, we have had to leave our homes because of the harassment we\u2019re suffering.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to be left alone and see justice done and we want this woman to tell the truth. Jenni, \u2018tell the truth!\u201d<\/p>\n She went on to say Ms Bejar was in a very distressed state, adding: \u201cShe\u2019s an elderly lady whose health is very delicate and she\u2019s suffering a lot\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s crying all time and is not able to sleep and is not eating.<\/p>\n \u201cThe person that spends five minutes with Luis knows he\u2019s a really good person with a big heart. He\u2019s a very noble person.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked when Ms Bejar\u2019s hunger strike would continue to, she said, referring to Hermoso,: \u201cUntil that woman speaks and tells the truth. I\u2019m not saying who\u2019s the baddie and who\u2019s the goodie here, but I just want Jenni to tell the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n She insisted she had no idea where Rubiales was and whether he had been able to speak to <\/p>\n Local reports said two priests were inside the church with the women. No-one from the parish could immediately be reached for comment.<\/p>\n Police involved<\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Uniformed officers from Spain\u2019s National Police force stood outside the door to the church, which remained shut while the relative and medic were inside.<\/p>\n It was not immediately clear why the police had turned up, although there was no immediate suggestion they would seek to remove Luis Rubiales\u2019 mum by force.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n This story appeared in The Sun<\/a> and is reproduced with permission. <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n