Julio Iglesias, accused of human trafficking and sexual abuse. Two women will testify before Spanish prosecutors
Julio Iglesias Photo: Ronaldo SCHEMIDT / AFP / Profimedia
Two women who claim they were sexually assaulted by singer Julio Iglesias will testify before Spanish prosecutors, the women's rights group that filed the complaint on their behalf said on Wednesday.
Women's Link Worldwide said in the complaint, filed in Spain's High Court on January 5, Iglesias is accused of human trafficking for the purposes of forced labor and servitude, sexual abuse and violations of workers' rights.
The group's executive director, Jovana Rios, said in an online news conference that prosecutors would take statements from the two women as protected witnesses, but said a date had not yet been set and the court had not yet formally asserted jurisdiction over the case.
“Being interviewed by prosecutors is a very important step in the pursuit of justice, and we appreciate the authorities being nimble in handling the case,” Rios added.
Rios described the two plaintiffs as young Latin American women in “vulnerable situations who depended heavily on their wages because of their economic and social conditions.”
Criminal investigations into alleged crimes committed by Spanish nationals abroad are generally handled by the High Court, a recent example being the sexual assault case of former Spanish Football Federation boss Luis Rubiales, who kissed a player in Sydney after the World Cup final in Australia.
Rios said Women's Link has also been contacted by other women who said they worked for Iglesias.
According to the director of Women's Link, one of the plaintiffs said she decided to act for herself, for other women who work for Iglesias, but also for her country, the Dominican Republic.
