Former Spanish king launches appeal against paternity suit

Spain’s former king Juan Carlos has lodged an appeal against a paternity suit brought by a woman claiming to be his daughter, a judicial source said on Saturday. The former monarch’s paternity case is the first since he lost his immunity after abdicating last June. The claim against Juan Carlos was made by Ingrid Sartiau, a Belgian housewife, reportedly in her late 40s, who claims Juan Carlos fathered her in the mid-1960s before he became king. Sartiau herself has also launched an appeal since the court has not yet ordered Juan Carlos to undergo a DNA test as she demanded in her suit, the source added.

Juan Carlos has lodged an appeal against the admission of the paternity suit.

Judicial source

Lawyers on both sides and state prosecutors must now examine the appeals before they are sent to the court for a ruling, which could happen within weeks, the source said. Juan Carlos married Queen Sofia in 1962. His last years on the throne saw the monarchy plunged into scandal, including a fraud investigation implicating his youngest daughter Cristina, 49. The royal palace said on Saturday it would not comment on the case since it was a private matter.