Spanish Courts Drop Proceedings Against Singer Julio Iglesias

MADRID, Jan 24 (Bernama-dpa) -- Spain’s judiciary has ended its investigation into singer Julio Iglesias due to lack of jurisdiction, reported German Press Agency (dpa), citing a spokesman for the National Court prosecutor’s office in Madrid on Friday after reports in the local media.

The proceedings were launched after two former employees accused Iglesias of sexual assault and violence. Both women had worked in the singer’s homes in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The 82-year-old singer had vehemently denied the allegations and requested the dismissal of the case.

The prosecutor’s office argued that the Spanish courts do not have jurisdiction and are therefore not authorized to carry out a preliminary investigation into the alleged incidents, Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported.

The report said further that the alleged crimes were not committed in Spain, and neither the plaintiffs nor the accused reside in the country.

It was not immediately clear whether the two women – a Colombian and a Brazilian – would now pursue legal action in the countries where the alleged crimes took place.

The accusations were published last Tuesday by the online Spanish newspaper El Diario and the Spanish-language US TV channel Univisión Noticias after a joint three-year investigation.

The alleged incidents are said to have occurred in 2021 in two of Iglesias' villas in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and in Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.

In recent years, Iglesias has largely withdrawn from the international spotlight. The Madrid native has been living in seclusion in the Caribbean and has avoided public appearances since 2019.

--BERNAMA-dpa