BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish prosecutors are reviewing allegations that Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
The Spanish prosecutor’s office confirmed on Wednesday that it is examining claims stemming from media reports published earlier this week. The reports allege that Iglesias sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked at his Caribbean properties between January and October 2021.
Iglesias has not publicly responded to the allegations. Russell L. King, a Miami-based entertainment lawyer who lists Iglesias as a client, did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Prosecutors handling cases for Spain’s National Court said formal allegations were submitted by an unnamed party on January 5. The Madrid-based court has jurisdiction to hear cases involving alleged crimes committed abroad by Spanish citizens.
Women’s Link Worldwide, a non-governmental organisation, said it represents the two women who filed the complaint. In a statement, the group said the women accuse Iglesias of “crimes against sexual freedom and integrity, including sexual harassment,” as well as “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labour and servitude.”
The allegations were uncovered in a joint investigation by Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias.
Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz said the reports “demand respect,” adding that the government remains firmly committed to confronting all forms of violence, harassment and aggression against women.
In the Dominican Republic, Attorney General’s Office spokesman Panky Corcino declined to comment, saying he could neither confirm nor deny whether an investigation was under way. Under Dominican law, any case involving sexual aggression or violence must be investigated by prosecutors, even if no formal complaint has been filed.
Now 82, Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful recording artists, having sold more than 300 million records in over a dozen languages. He rose to international fame in the 1970s and 1980s and is the father of pop star Enrique Iglesias. He won a Grammy in 1988 for Best Latin Pop Performance for Un Hombre Solo and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.
Spain’s culture minister said on Wednesday that the government is also considering revoking the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts awarded to Iglesias in 2010.
“It is something we are studying and evaluating, because we feel obliged to do so when faced with such a serious case,” Culture Minister Ernest Urtusan said.
