Julio Iglesias accused of sexual assault as Spanish prosecutors study the allegations

Julio Iglesias accused of sexual assault as Spanish prosecutors study the allegations Spanish singer Julio Iglesias smiles during his star unveiling ceremony at the Walk of Fame in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. Carlos Giusti/AP hide caption toggle caption BARCELONA, Spain - Spanish prosecutors are studying allegations that Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. The Spanish prosecutors' office told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the allegations were related to media reports from earlier this week that alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked in his Caribbean residences between January and October 2021. Iglesias has yet to speak publicly regarding the allegations. Russell L. King, a Miami-based entertainment lawyer who lists Iglesias as a client on his website, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by the AP. The Spanish prosecutors' office that handles cases for Spain's National Court said that it had received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to the court's press office. Seeking justice in Spain over the Caribbean Women's Link Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization, said in a statement that it was representing the two women who had presented the complaint to the Spanish court. The group said that the women were accusing Iglesias of "crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment" and of "human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude." The organization said the women in their testimony also accused Iglesias of regularly checking their cellphones, of prohibiting them from leaving the house where they worked and demanding that they work up to 16 hours a day, with no contract or days off. The organization said it did not reach out to authorities in the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic, and that it didn't know whether authorities in those Caribbean nations have initiated an investigation. Gema Fernández, senior attorney at Women's Link Worldwide, said in an online press conference Wednesday that "Spanish legislation regarding sexual violence, gender-based violence and trafficking could be an interesting option" for the two women making the allegations against Iglesias. "Listening to what (the two women) are seeking and their definitions of justice, it seems to us that filing a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office of the National Court of Spain was the path that best suited their definition of justice. That is why we are supporting them along this path," Fernández said. Jovana Ríos Cisneros, executive director of Women's Link Worldwide, asserted that Spanish prosecutors have decided to take statements from the two women and granted them the status of protected witnesses. "Being heard by the Prosecutor's Office is a very important step in the search for justice," she said. Fernández said prosecutors have not set a date to take statements from the women...

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