Angeles Bejar says she will not eat until the ‘witch hunt’ for her son ends (Picture: Getty)
The mother of under-fire Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has locked herself in a church and begun a hunger strike until her son is cleared, according to reports in Spain.
RFEF chief Rubiales, 46, still remains in his post despite being provisionally suspended by FIFA and condemned across the world for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent following Spain’s Women’s World Cup win over England earlier this month.
An emergency assembly was called last Friday in which Rubiales was expected to resign, but instead he gave an astonishing speech in which he hit out at his critics and insisted he would not leave.
The RFEF later revealed they would be taking legal action against Hermoso and accused her of ‘lying’ about her version of events, even presenting images they claimed showed she had instigated the interaction and lifted the federation president off his feet.
That has only prompted further disgust towards the Spanish FA, with the players – who were celebrating the biggest victory of their careers barely a week ago – refusing to play while Rubiales remains and the entire coaching staff, save for controversial manager Jorge Vilda, resigning.
Now yet another twist has been added to the events, with reports in Spain claiming Angeles Bejar, the mother of Rubiales, has declared a hunger strike until a solution is found to the ‘inhumane and bloody witch hunt they are doing to my son’.
According to Spanish newspaper agency EFE, pensioner Bejar and her sister snuck into the church of the Divina Pastora de Motril in Granada on Monday morning after the priest had left and are refusing to leave.
Rubiales grabbed Hermoso’s head and kissed her on the lips (Picture: BBC)
She says she will not eat or leave the church ‘indefinitely, day and night’ until Hermoso has ‘told the truth’ and the campaign against her son – ‘which he does not deserve’ – is ended.
‘There is no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties,’ she continued. ‘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.’
It is unclear if police will be called to the church to resolve the situation, but there will be further updates to the Rubiales affair on Monday afternoon with the RFEF having called another emergency meeting.
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It is not yet known what the aim of the latest assembly will be, but Spanish radio station Onda Cero are claiming the RFEF have hatched another plan to try and end the furore surrounding their president.
This latest idea could see the RFEF ask UEFA – which Rubiales is the vice president of – to suspend Spanish clubs and the national team from European competitions.
The RFEF hope the potential threat of Spanish clubs being expelled from Europe might prompt the government to cease taking action against Rubiales, though it seems highly unlikely that UEFA would assist in such a way despite their silence on the matter so far.
MORE : Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales suspended by FIFA and ordered not to contact Jenni Hermoso
MORE : Spain Women’s manager calls Luis Rubiales kiss ‘inappropriate and unacceptable’
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Angeles Bejar says she will not eat until the ‘witch hunt’ for her son ends.