A British couple arrested for abandoning their children at a Costa del Sol hotel to go out partying has been sentenced. The children, a six-month-old baby, a one-year-old toddler, and a four-year-old, were discovered alone in their hotel room at the Holiday World Resort in Benalmadena. They were taken to hospital, while the parents, a 41-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, were arrested and charged with abandonment.
Court Sentence
The parents received suspended prison sentences of one and a half years and have been banned from seeing their children for two years. They are also disqualified from exercising parental authority for two years and eight months, and prohibited from approaching within 500 meters of the children for two years.
Child Welfare
Emergency foster families have been found to care for the youngsters. According to reports, the youngest child tested positive for cocaine at a Malaga hospital before being taken into care, though the parents did not admit to this. The children are under the guardianship of the Social Services of the Regional Government of Andalusia, which plans to contact the British consulate to arrange their transfer to the UK.
A spokesman for Andalucia’s High Court of Justice confirmed the disqualification and prohibition orders. The National Police in Malaga stated that a specialist family and women assistance unit (UFAM) is involved, and social services have taken temporary charge of the children.
Hotel Incident
The family was staying at the Holiday World Resort, a large complex with three hotels and premium apartments totaling over 850 rooms. The parents spent a night in police custody before being brought to court.
