Julio Iglesias asks Spanish court to dismiss abuse complaint by ex-employees, arguing alleged acts in Caribbean fall outside Spain’s jurisdiction
MADRID: Veteran Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has asked authorities to dismiss a sexual misconduct complaint filed by two former employees.
His lawyer argued that Spanish courts lack jurisdiction as the alleged acts occurred in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
The women, a domestic worker and a physiotherapist, filed a criminal complaint in Spain earlier this month.
They allege Iglesias subjected them to sexual harassment and restricted their movements while they worked at his properties in 2021.
In documents submitted to Spain’s top criminal court, lawyer Jose Antonio Choclan said the acts should be prosecuted where they occurred.
He asked prosecutors to “immediately close” the preliminary investigation and “end the media campaign causing serious harm” to the 82-year-old singer’s reputation.
“The Spanish prosecutor cannot unilaterally assume the role of a universal prosecutor, nor can Spanish courts, and it is also not permissible for the victim to choose the jurisdiction that is most convenient for them,” Choclan wrote.
Women’s Link Worldwide, assisting the complainants, said the case was filed in Spain due to its strong gender-based violence laws and because Iglesias is a Spanish national.
Iglesias has rejected the allegations as “absolutely false”.
The Grammy-winning artist is one of the most successful Latin musicians of all time, with over 300 million records sold.
