Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, already accused of sexually assaulting two female former employees, is now alleged to have ordered some women who worked for him to undergo tests for sexually transmitted diseases, according to local media reports. The 82-year-old singer, whose career spans six decades, faces a preliminary investigation by Spain's highest criminal court after two women filed a complaint accusing him of sexual assault and human trafficking.
The allegations, published on Tuesday following a three-year joint investigation by Spanish news site elDiario.es and Univision Noticias, involve a domestic worker and a physical therapist, known by the pseudonyms Rebeca and Laura. They claim they were subjected to sexual assaults while working at Iglesias's Caribbean mansions in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas in 2021.
On Wednesday, elDiario.es published testimony from Rebeca and another former worker, Carolina, alleging they were required to have medical tests for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and chlamydia. Rebeca said, 'He ordered the girls to go to the gynaecologist for a general examination. There were 10 or 12 girls. They did everything to us there; the gynaecologist checked everything. It only happened to the girls.' Carolina added, 'I was tested for sexually transmitted diseases. They did ultrasounds and blood tests to see if we had any diseases. It didn't seem normal to me.'
Rebeca has alleged that Iglesias, then 77, would often call her to his room at the end of the working day and penetrate her anally and vaginally with his fingers without her consent. 'He used me almost every night,' she said. 'I felt like an object, like a slave.' Laura told investigators that Iglesias kissed her on the mouth and touched her breasts without permission. 'We were at the beach and he came up to me and touched my nipples,' she said, describing a similar incident by the pool at his villa in Punta Cana.
Journalists from elDiario.es and Univision made repeated efforts to contact Iglesias and his lawyer but received no response. The Guardian has also approached his representatives for comment. In an interview, Laura said she and Rebeca decided to file a complaint to encourage other women to come forward: 'I think by taking legal action we're sending a message to all the victims of this person – Julio Iglesias – so that they can speak out and believe in justice.'
The allegations have prompted calls from some leftwing politicians to strip Iglesias of honours bestowed by Madrid's city council and regional government. However, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the rightwing president of the Madrid region, dismissed these calls, stating, 'The region of Madrid will never contribute to the discrediting of artists and still less so when it comes to the most universal of all singers: Julio Iglesias.' Spain's labour minister Yolanda Díaz said the government was considering withdrawing the Bellas Artes medal awarded to Iglesias in 2010, noting a difference between 'criminal responsibility' and 'ethical responsibility'.
