Spanish prosecutors back court probe into Julio Iglesias over worker abuse claims
Spain's prosecution now says the Audiencia Nacional has jurisdiction to investigate a complaint by two former female employees alleging sexual assault and labour abuse at the singer's Caribbean properties.
A reversal by the prosecution
Spain's prosecution service has changed its position on a criminal complaint against the singer Julio Iglesias. eldiario.es first reported the move, and prosecution sources confirmed it to Europa Press. Prosecutor Vicente González Mota has sent a written report to investigating judge Antonio Piña stating that the Audiencia Nacional, a Madrid court with specialised criminal jurisdiction, is competent to hear the case. Beatriz Sánchez Álvarez, the prosecutor heading the coordinating unit for human trafficking and foreigners, reviewed the report and backed it. The judge must now decide in the coming days whether to open an investigation.
The allegations
The complaint concerns alleged events in 2021 at properties Iglesias owns in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. Two former female employees, a domestic worker and a physiotherapist, say they suffered touching, insults and humiliation during their working hours. They describe an environment of constant control and harassment, according to an investigation by eldiario.es with Univision Noticias. The complaint, filed through the organisation Women's Link Worldwide, lists offences including human trafficking for forced labour and servitude, crimes against sexual freedom and integrity, bodily injury, degrading treatment, and offences against workers' rights. Women's Link says the singer used his "position of power" and the workers' vulnerability to recruit, transport and house them, allegedly subjecting them to repeated sexual assaults and forced, degrading conditions. The organisation argues Spanish courts have jurisdiction under article 23 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary, which allows investigating crimes committed abroad by Spanish citizens, and under human rights treaties Spain has ratified. Iglesias has denied all the accusations and has called the reported facts absolutely false.
Earlier archiving and the new complaint
In January 2026 the Audiencia Nacional prosecution opened preliminary proceedings on a first complaint filed with prosecutors, then shelved them. The stated reasons were that the alleged acts took place abroad, the complainants had no relevant links to Spain, and the alleged perpetrator is not in the country. eldiario.es reports that the decision was taken by the deputy chief prosecutor Marta Durántez, who said the complainants were not Spanish and had never travelled with the singer to Spain. In September, Women's Link Worldwide filed a querella directly with the Audiencia Nacional courts. That complaint went to Judge Piña, who asked prosecutors for a report on their position, and the report now favouring competence is the answer to that request.
- Alleged acts at Iglesias properties in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, according to the complaint
- Audiencia Nacional prosecution shelves the first complaint, citing lack of jurisdiction
- Women's Link Worldwide files a querella directly with the Audiencia Nacional
- Prosecutor Vicente González Mota reports that the Audiencia Nacional is competent
What happens next
Judge Antonio Piña will decide whether to open an investigation, and the reporting indicates he is expected to rule in the coming days. The prosecution's report addresses jurisdiction, not the merits of the allegations. No ruling on the merits has been reported, and the allegations remain unproven.
