Spanish prosecutors drop sexual assault complaint against Julio Iglesias | Spain
Spanish prosecutors shelved the complaint filed by two women accusing singer Julio Iglesias of sexual assault and human trafficking, arguing that the country’s courts did not have jurisdiction because the alleged crimes took place outside Spain.
10 days ago, two former female employees who worked at Iglesias’ Caribbean mansions accused the veteran artist of sexual assault, saying that they were “subject to inappropriate touching, insults and humiliation in an atmosphere of control and constant harassment.”
The allegations emerged after a while three-year joint investigation In the report prepared by the Spanish news site elDiario.es and the Spanish-language TV network Univision Noticias, the statements of 15 former employees who worked for the 82-year-old singer between the late 1990s and 2023 were collected.
The two complainants, a domestic worker and a physiotherapist who worked on estates in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, presented their complaints to prosecutors at Spain’s highest criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional.
In a decision published Friday, prosecutors dismissed the case, saying Spanish courts “lack jurisdiction” because the alleged crimes did not occur in the country.
In a file obtained by Reuters from prosecutors, it was stated that a lawsuit could be filed in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, even if the high court cannot hear the case.
One of the women, identified as Rebeca to protect her identity, said Iglesias, who was 77 at the time, often called her to his office at the end of the workday.
He then said he would penetrate her anally and vaginally with his fingers without her consent. “He used me almost every night,” he told elDiario.es and Univision Noticias. “I felt like an object, a slave.”
According to Rebeca, the attacks usually took place in the presence and participation of another employee who was her superior.
Another woman, who used the pseudonym Laura, said Iglesias kissed her on the mouth and touched her breasts without her consent.
Eldiario.es also published documents alleging that Iglesias ordered some women who worked for him to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
The singer, whose career has spanned 60 years, denied all the allegations and said he would defend himself against this incident, which he described as a “serious insult”.
Iglesias wrote in a statement on Instagram a week ago: “It is with great sadness that I respond to the allegations made by two people who work in my home. I have never harassed, oppressed or disrespected any women. These accusations are absolutely false and hurt me deeply.”
