A British couple was apprehended for allegedly abandoning their three young children in a hotel on the Costa del Sol while they went out partying. Local reports suggest that the youngest child, a six-month-old infant, tested positive for cocaine, leading to the arrest of the parents.
The children, aged four, two, and six months, were placed under temporary care of social services following the incident. Sources familiar with the case described the condition in which the children were discovered as distressing, with the hotel room being untidy and the eldest child taking care of the younger ones.
The regional Junta de Andalucia authorities have taken custody of the children, who were subsequently taken to Malaga’s Materno Infantil Hospital for evaluation. The specific hotel where the family was staying, located in Benalmadena, has not been disclosed.
According to a spokesperson from Spain’s National Police, a 41-year-old British man and a 28-year-old woman were detained on suspicion of child abandonment. The UFAM unit of the National Police, specializing in family and women assistance, is assisting in the case, while the Junta de Andalucia’s social services have assumed temporary responsibility for the children.
The couple was reportedly detained in the early hours of Thursday, and it is anticipated that they will spend the night in police custody before appearing in court the following day for an initial hearing. Police have not confirmed reports alleging that the baby tested positive for cocaine. The hotel complex where the incident occurred is described as a sizable establishment on the Costa del Sol.
