In an order released this Friday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office invokes the jurisprudence of the Spanish Supreme Court to conclude that “Spain is not competent to investigate crimes abroad when there are no relevant links” with the country
The Public Ministry of Spain filed this Friday the complaint of sexual assault and human trafficking by two women against singer Julio Iglesias due to “lack of jurisdiction” and competence of the country’s courts in this case.
In an order released this Friday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office invokes the jurisprudence of the Spanish Supreme Court to conclude that “Spain is not competent to investigate crimes abroad when there are no relevant links” with the country.
“Especially, when the victims are foreigners and are not resident in Spain; when the alleged perpetrators are also foreigners or are not in Spain (or, even if so, are not in our country either); and when the facts are being investigated or can be investigated in the State where they occurred”, explained the Public Ministry.
In this specific case, Julio Iglesias, a Spanish national, was the target of a complaint in Spain by two former employees of non-Spanish nationality, for alleged crimes committed in the singer’s homes in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
The two women also accused, in the same complaint, two housekeepers from Julio Iglesias’s homes, saying that they were accomplices in the alleged crimes.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasizes that the alleged victims are foreigners, not resident in Spain and never traveled to Spain with the singer; that the alleged crimes occurred in “fully competent countries” and that Julio Iglesias and the two housekeepers do not reside in Spain and have three different nationalities (Spanish, Colombian and Brazilian).
Two former employees of Julio Iglesias, legally represented by lawyers from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Women’s Link, reported to the Public Ministry of the National Audience of Spain, on January 5th of this year, that they had been victims of sexual assault and human trafficking by the artist.
The NGO’s lawyers said that the fact that Julio Iglesias had Spanish nationality made it possible for him to be the target of a complaint in Spain, despite the alleged crimes having occurred in other territories.
In addition to the Women’s Link legal team, the human rights NGO Amnesty International Spain “decided to support the complainants” and asked for the case to be investigated.
Following the complaint, the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office decided to hear the two women, in a “pre-procedural investigation” phase, to decide whether or not to move forward with the investigation.
The allegations were made public on January 13, after the Spanish newspaper elDiario.es and the North American television station Univision Noticias published the testimonies of the alleged victims.
The two women complain of having been victims of sexual assault and other crimes between January and October 2021, when they were 22 and 28 years old.
The complaints, cited by the jurists who represent them, refer to alleged facts that could constitute “human trafficking for the purpose of imposing forced labor and servitude”, as well as “various crimes against sexual freedom and intimidation such as sexual harassment and sexual assault”, as well as injuries and various crimes against workers’ rights “due to the imposition of abusive working conditions”.
In testimonies published by elDiario.es, the two women describe rape and other sexual assaults, as well as slaps, insults and various other physical and verbal humiliations, along with 16-hour working days, control of communications and messages on cell phones or forced medical examinations.
In a statement released on January 16, Julio Iglesias said that the accusations made by the two former employees are false.
“With deep regret I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked in my house. I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected a woman,” said the 82-year-old singer.
