MADRID, October 19, 2026 — Spanish prosecutors have reversed their previous position and now support a court investigation into sexual assault allegations against singer Julio Iglesias, according to reports by El Diario and the Associated Press. The mechanics here hinge on a procedural shift regarding whether Spain’s National Court possesses the legal authority to pursue foreign-born complaints.
The Shift in Legal Status
Spanish prosecutors have reversed their earlier stance and now back a court investigation into sexual assault allegations against Julio Iglesias, according to El Diario. The case involves two former employees who worked at Iglesias properties in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas in 2021, as detailed by the Associated Press. The women accuse the singer of sexual assault, human trafficking for forced labor, imposing abusive working conditions, physical injuries, and degrading treatment, according to the same reports. One former employee alleges she was pressured into sexual encounters, while the other reports unwanted sexual touching. Iglesias has denied the allegations, insisting that the accusations are entirely false, according to the Associated Press.
Follow the money and the jurisdiction, because that is where the case previously stalled. Prosecutors closed a preliminary investigation in January 2026, concluding that the alleged offenses occurred outside Spain and that the case lacked sufficient connections to the country, as reported by the Associated Press. The women initially filed that complaint in January through the international women’s rights organization Women’s Link Worldwide. But the catch is that in September 2026, the women filed a new criminal complaint directly with Spain’s National Court, prompting a complete reevaluation of the case file.
The Jurisdictional Debate
The prosecutor’s office now considers that Spain’s National Court has jurisdiction to investigate the allegations, marking a sharp pivot from its stance in January, according to the Associated Press. National Court Judge Antonio Pina has given Iglesias and the two women five days to submit arguments on whether the court has jurisdiction, as reported by El Diario. On closer reading of the procedural timeline, Judge Pina is expected to decide next week whether to open a formal criminal investigation, relying on legal sources cited by El Diario. The allegations themselves first came to light through a joint investigation by El Diario and Univision News, where the complainants detailed the alleged abuse and degrading working conditions at the Caribbean residences.
International Implications And Precedents
According to the Associated Press, the allegations against Julio Iglesias have sparked a reevaluation of the case, considering the international implications of the alleged offenses. The fact that the alleged abuses occurred in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas raises questions about the jurisdiction of Spanish courts.
The case bears some resemblance to other instances where family members have competed against each other in awards, as seen in the Grammy Awards, where Julio Iglesias and his son Enrique Iglesias were once nominated for the same award, as reported by Rolling Stone. However, the gravity of the allegations against Julio Iglesias sets this case apart from such competitions.
As the Spanish prosecutors now back the investigation, the international community will be watching to see how the case unfolds, especially given the involvement of international women’s rights organization Women’s Link Worldwide, which initially filed the complaint on behalf of the two women, as reported by El Diario.
Details of the Accusations From Former Employees
The two former employees who worked at Julio Iglesias’ Caribbean properties in 2021 have provided specific accounts of the alleged abuse, according to the joint investigation by El Diario and Univision News. One woman, identified as a former domestic worker, alleged that she was pressured into sexual encounters by Iglesias during her employment at his residence in the Dominican Republic. The other woman, a physical therapist who worked at his Bahamas property, reported unwanted sexual touching by the singer while performing her duties.
Beyond the sexual allegations, both women accuse Iglesias of human trafficking for forced labor, claiming they were subjected to abusive working conditions that included excessive hours without adequate rest or compensation. They state that Iglesias exploited his position of power and their economic vulnerability as migrant workers in the Caribbean to maintain control over their employment and personal circumstances.
The former employees also allege they suffered physical injuries and degrading treatment while working at Iglesias’ residences. These conditions reportedly included verbal humiliation, threats of deportation or job loss if they refused his advances, and being forced to perform tasks outside their job descriptions under threat of punishment. Iglesias has denied all allegations, insisting the accusations are entirely false, as reported by the Associated Press.
Iglesias’ Public Denial of the Allegations
Julio Iglesias has publicly denied all allegations of sexual assault, human trafficking, and abusive working conditions, insisting that the accusations are entirely false. According to the Associated Press, Iglesias has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. The singer’s denial comes in response to the detailed accounts provided by the two former employees, who worked at his properties in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas in 2021.
Iglesias’ stance has been consistent since the allegations first surfaced in a joint investigation by El Diario and Univision News. Despite the women’s claims of being pressured into sexual encounters, subjected to unwanted touching, and forced into labor under abusive conditions, Iglesias has refuted these assertions. His denial is a key aspect of the case as it progresses through the Spanish legal system, with Judge Antonio Pina set to decide on the court’s jurisdiction and whether to open a formal criminal investigation.
Sources
- Spanish prosecutors back investigation into sexual abuse allegations against Julio Iglesias
- Grammy Family Feuds: Six Times Relatives Competed for the Same Award
Photo: Jesús Carrero, ¡Hola! magazine (CC BY-SA 3.0)
