Overview
- Spain’s National Court prosecutors on January 23 dismissed a preliminary probe after concluding they lacked jurisdiction, following remote interviews with the two women under protected status.
- The filing cites that the alleged conduct occurred in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas and that the complainants are non-residents, aligning with Supreme Court limits on extraterritorial cases and noting no waiver of jurisdiction by those states.
- Prosecutors stressed the decision is procedural rather than a judgment on the facts, indicating proceedings could be sought in Caribbean courts, and the NGO may still petition investigating judges in Spain.
- The complaint, filed January 5 by Women’s Link Worldwide after elDiario.es and Univision reporting, alleges sexual assault, human trafficking for forced labour and servitude, and workers’ rights violations in 2021.
- Julio Iglesias has denied the accusations as absolutely false, and his lawyer argued the case belongs in the jurisdictions where the alleged events took place.