Spanish prosecutors shelve complaint against Julio Iglesias over jurisdiction

Spanish prosecutors have shelved a complaint brought by two women accusing the singer Julio Iglesias of sexual assault and human trafficking, saying the country’s courts have no jurisdiction because the alleged offences took place outside Spain. The allegations emerged 10 days ago and were reported by elDiario.es and Univision Noticias after a three-year joint investigation that gathered testimony from 15 former employees who worked for the 82-year-old singer between the late 1990s and 2023.

The two complainants said they had been subjected "to inappropriate touching, insults and humiliation … in an atmosphere of control and constant harassment." The two women — a domestic worker and a physical therapist employed at mansions in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas — filed their complaint with prosecutors at Spain’s highest criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional.

In a decision issued on Friday, prosecutors rejected the case, saying Spanish courts "lacked jurisdiction" because the alleged offences had not taken place in the country; a filing seen by Reuters said prosecution could still be sought in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

Key Topics

World, Julio Iglesias, Audiencia Nacional, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Human Trafficking