The British justice rejected on Thursday the request for immunity presented by the emeritus king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, in the framework of a harassment lawsuit filed by his ex-lover, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, before the High Court of London.
"Plaintiff’s claim is based on harassing conduct by Defendant" and "such acts do not fall within the sphere of governmental or sovereign activity"stated the court to justify why "the immunity claim was rejected".
"The acts of surveillance alleged by the plaintiff, if carried out by agents of the National Intelligence Center (CNI), could enjoy state immunity, but the Spanish State has not claimed such immunity and it is not clear what precise role the CNI agents played in the alleged acts of harassment"specified the sentence.
This thus allows Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein to continue with her civil lawsuit against the father of the current King Felipe VI in London, where she has two residences.
The 58-year-old Danish woman, who says that He was the lover of the then monarch between 2004 and 2009stated that, after their breakup, she was spied on and was harassed by order of the 84-year-old former head of state, who abdicated in 2014 in favor of his son Felipe VI, as a result of a series of scandals.
In court documents, he explained that he had maintained a close friendship with the former monarch for a time after their separation, when he gave him "works of art, jewelry and financial gifts"including payments worth about €65 million ($73 million) in June 2012.
But he adds that Juan Carlos tried to resume their relationship and, when she rejected him, the ex-sovereign undertook a "pattern of conduct equivalent to bullying".
"He demanded the return of the gifts"was "threatening" and "subsequently carried out or organized a series of acts of covert and overt surveillance, causing anguish and anxiety" on her ex-lover, according to the lawsuit.