They were silent for a long time. They had doubts about speaking out, about being judged, about the consequences that pointing out a powerful person could have for them. But the words of Laura and Rebeca (two names that hide the true identity of these women) have appeared in the media around the world. These former employees of the singer have recounted the climate of terror in which they lived in the artist’s mansions in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas: from screams and humiliation to touching, non-consensual kisses and sexual assaults. The stories that they decided to share with elDiario.es and Univision Noticias in an investigation that took three years to publish, have crystallized in a complaint filed by lawyers from the organization Women’s Link Worldwide in the Prosecutor’s Office of the Spanish National Court.
Now is the time to explain why they have made this decision and what it means for them. “I believe that the impact of us going to court is to send that message to all the victims of this person, of Julio Iglesias, to make them speak and believe in justice. That they understand that it was not something that just happened to them. This is something that this person has been doing for many years,” says Laura.
“I want my voice to give them strength and to speak, and together we can achieve justice. I’m not just doing it for myself, I’m also doing it for them, because what I experienced or what any of my colleagues experienced in that house is not fair. We entered that house to work with dignity and we did not deserve all the physical, psychological and sexual abuse,” she says.
“The crimes that were committed in this case must be said. They cannot be kept silent because, when you keep quiet about a crime, you become an accomplice to it,” says Laura. “That’s why I’m doing this and speaking out, I can’t be an accomplice.”
Away from impact due to therapeutic advice
Laura has been aware of the publications from elDiario.es and Univision but has preferred, for therapeutic advice, to stay away from the impact they have caused. He has preferred to “choose his battles” and not be aware of social networks: “My battle is legal action.” The future of this action is in the hands of the Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court.
The episodes that Laura has related happened in the artist’s mansions in 2021. Specifically, Laura claims that Julio Iglesias kissed her on the mouth and touched her breasts against her will, squeezing her nipples until they hurt her. Rebeca, for her part, says that the Spanish artist, who was 77 years old at the time, sent her to his room many times at the end of the work day to have sexual encounters. She describes penetrations with fingers without her consent.
Journalists from elDiario.es and Univision Noticias contacted Julio Iglesias and his lawyer at different times and through different means, without obtaining a response to the questions sent to them by email, telephone messages and letters delivered to their residences.
Notion of justice
“I have been googling The definition of justice and justice is all the moral and legal actions that a person does,” Laura explains. “Justice comes when these moral actions are not fair,” she adds. “I hope that, as their name says, they do justice.”
“All the women who go to work, and I want this to be very clear, in Julio Iglesias’ house are victims. Because their moral actions do not go with human rights,” she emphasizes.
At this moment Laura is not only thinking about herself, she has in her mind other women who may be experiencing situations of abuse: “I want the impact of my voice to give them strength so that they also speak and together we can achieve justice.” “I do it mainly for myself, but I also do it for them, for support, because it’s not fair.”
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Source: www.eldiario.es
