Spanish Court: Unwanted Hand Kiss Is Sexual Assault

Spain's highest court has drawn a sharp line on consent, ruling that an unsolicited hand-kiss can amount to sexual assault. The Supreme Court upheld a fine of 1,620 euros (about $1,850) against a man who approached a woman at a Madrid bus stop, kissed her hand, and signaled for her to follow him in exchange for money, reports the BBC. The man argued there was no violence or intimidation and that, at most, he was guilty of lesser sexual harassment, per the Olive Press. The court disagreed, saying that the encounter went beyond harassment because it carried "a clear sexual component," and that a woman "cannot tolerate" a man taking and kissing her hand without consent in an act with "obvious sexual connotation."

Two magistrates dissented, calling hand-kissing an outdated but nonsexual greeting. The decision comes amid Spain's broader shift on consent, including the 2022 "Only yes means yes" law that centers affirmative consent and removes the requirement to prove violence. It follows the high-profile case of former soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales, convicted in 2025 of sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso with an unsolicited kiss after the Women's World Cup final.