Spanish Court: Hand Kiss Is Sexual Assault
Getty/Jacob Wackerhausen
Spain’s Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling on consent, determining that an unsolicited hand-kiss can constitute sexual assault. The court confirmed a 1,620-euro ($1,850) fine for a man who approached a woman at a bus stop in Madrid, kissed her hand, and suggested she follow him in exchange for money, according to the BBC.
The man had argued that his actions involved no violence or threat, claiming the most he could be guilty of was minor sexual harassment, the Olive Press reports. The court rejected this, ruling that the incident contained “a clear sexual component” and emphasizing that a woman cannot be expected to tolerate a man taking and kissing her hand without consent when the act carries “obvious sexual connotation.”
Two judges disagreed with the majority, describing hand-kissing as an old-fashioned, nonsexual gesture.
This ruling comes as part of Spain’s ongoing evolution of sexual consent laws, highlighted by the 2022 “Only yes means yes” legislation, which focuses on affirmative consent and removes the need to demonstrate violence. The decision also echoes the 2025 conviction of Luis Rubiales, the former head of Spain’s soccer federation, for sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso with an unsolicited kiss following the Women’s World Cup final.
About Post Author
