A court in Spain has dismissed a sexual assault and harassment lawsuit against singer Julio Iglesias, arguing that Spanish authorities do not have jurisdiction to investigate the alleged events, which allegedly took place in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
The lawsuit was filed on January 5 by two former employees of the 82-year-old artist, who claimed to be victims of sexual harassment, while one of them had described to the media episodes that, according to her, could constitute rape.
According to the prosecutor's office, the Spanish courts cannot examine the case, as neither the plaintiffs nor Iglesias are Spanish citizens, do not reside in Spain and the alleged incidents did not occur on Spanish territory. The court explained that intervention would only be possible if the countries where the events occurred were unable or unwilling to investigate them, which was not the case in this case.
Since the case went public in mid-January, Iglesias and his legal representative have relied on the lack of jurisdiction of the Spanish courts, emphasizing that the alleged events took place on the singer's properties in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, two non-governmental organizations that assisted the plaintiffs clarified that the lawsuit was filed in Spain, as Spanish legislation is considered more favorable for handling such cases.
