Quick Read
- Spanish prosecutors dismissed a sexual abuse and human trafficking complaint against Julio Iglesias on January 24, 2026.
- The dismissal was due to a lack of jurisdiction, as alleged acts occurred in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
- Complainants are two foreign former domestic workers; Iglesias also lives outside Spain.
- Iglesias vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “absolutely false.”
- Advocacy groups Women’s Link Worldwide and Amnesty International called the decision “regrettable” and vowed to pursue other legal avenues.
MADRID (Azat TV) – Spanish prosecutors have dismissed a sexual abuse and human trafficking complaint against Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias, citing a lack of jurisdiction. The decision, announced Friday, January 24, 2026, by Madrid officials, means Spanish courts will not investigate the claims made by two former domestic workers against the 82-year-old artist, as the alleged acts occurred outside Spain and involved foreign complainants.
The allegations, which gained significant media attention in Spain after being aired last week in a joint investigation by online Spanish newspaper elDiario.es and US television network Univision, involved two women – a domestic worker and a physiotherapist. They claimed to have suffered sexual and other forms of abuse while working at Iglesias’s properties in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas in 2021.
Jurisdiction Issue Halts Spanish Probe
Spanish prosecutors stated in their decision that they could not open an investigation because the victims “are foreign” and “do not reside in Spain,” and the accused, Julio Iglesias, is also outside the country. Madrid-born Iglesias lives between Miami, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. The prosecutors concluded that the alleged acts took place “in countries fully competent” to investigate them, ruling out the jurisdiction of Spanish courts.
Advocacy groups Women’s Link Worldwide and Amnesty International had filed a complaint with Spanish prosecutors on January 5, outlining alleged acts that they contended could be considered “a crime of human trafficking for the purpose of forced labour” and “crimes against sexual freedom.” According to testimony collected by these groups, Iglesias allegedly subjected the women to “sexual harassment, regularly checked their mobile phones, restricted their ability to leave the home where they worked, and required them to work up to 16 hours a day without days off.”
Iglesias Denies Allegations, Victims Vow to Continue Fight
Julio Iglesias has vehemently denied the accusations. In an Instagram message last week, he called the accusations “absolutely false,” stating he had never “abused, coerced, or disrespected any woman.” He added, “I have never felt such malice, but I still have the strength to let people know the whole truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious accusation.” His lawyer, Jose Antonio Choclan, had earlier requested the case be closed, arguing that the alleged acts should be prosecuted where they occurred.
The decision by Spanish prosecutors does not prevent the women from filing their complaint in other jurisdictions, a point also noted by the prosecutors. However, Women’s Link Worldwide explained that the complaint was initially submitted in Spain, rather than the Caribbean countries where the crimes allegedly took place, due to the nature of Spanish legislation on gender-based violence and trafficking. The two organizations called the prosecutors’ decision “regrettable” and confirmed that the women “will continue fighting for justice and will pursue all available legal avenues,” in a statement published in elDiario.es.
A Legendary Career Amidst Controversy
Julio Iglesias, father of fellow superstar singer Enrique Iglesias, is one of the most successful Latin artists of all time. With a career spanning decades since his 1969 debut album “Yo Canto,” he has sold more than 300 million records in over a dozen languages. He achieved immense popularity in the U.S. and worldwide in the 1970s and 1980s, partly through duets with artists like Willie Nelson and Diana Ross. Iglesias is a Grammy winner, having received a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance in 1988 for his album “Un Hombre Solo,” and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
The dismissal of this high-profile case highlights the complex challenges associated with prosecuting alleged abuses that cross international borders, particularly when jurisdictional requirements are not met within the chosen legal framework. While Spanish courts have concluded their involvement, the commitment of the complainants and advocacy groups to pursue justice elsewhere underscores the ongoing pursuit of accountability in such transnational matters.