The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office closed the sexual abuse complaint filed against the singer Julio Iglesias, the decision being motivated by the fact that the alleged acts did not take place in Spain, but in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, and the plaintiffs do not live in the country.
Thus, Spanish justice cannot judge the case, which could only be investigated in the countries where the crimes allegedly took place.
The complaint was filed Jan. 5 by women’s rights organization Women’s Link Worldwide on behalf of two women who allegedly worked at Iglesias’ Caribbean residences for 10 months in 2021.
The charges are based on an investigation by the US broadcaster Univision and the Spanish publication elDiario.es and relate to human trafficking for the purpose of forced labour, sexual assault and violation of workers’ rights.
The 82-year-old singer has denied the allegations, calling them “completely false” in social media posts. His representatives did not respond to requests from Reuters, and the record label Sony declined to comment, according to agerpres.
In a document consulted by the agents, the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office states that the judiciary in Spain cannot judge the case, but the prosecution could be initiated in the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic, the countries where the alleged crimes took place.
The Prosecutor’s Office also points out that the alleged victims are not Spanish and do not live in Spain, citing the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on the limitations of the principle of universal jurisdiction.
The lawyer of Julio Iglesias, José Antonio Choclán, reiterated that the acts would have taken place between January and October 2021 in his residences in the Caribbean and that, according to the law, the crimes must be tried at the place of commission. Otherwise, they could be investigated in Spain only “possibly”.
The NGOs Amnesty International and Women’s Link Worldwide, which support the plaintiffs, explained that the complaint was filed in Spain because Spanish law offers more favorable protection to victims in such cases.
Julio Iglesias, born in 1943, has become one of the world’s best-known Latin artists, releasing hits such as “Je n’ai pas changé (No Vengo Ni Voy)” and “Pauvres diables (Vous les femmes)” and selling millions of records globally since the 1970s.
