A married couple have been arrested by Spanish police in Madrid after leaving their two young daughters locked in a car while they went on a ´booze binge´
The couple, of Ecuadorian nationality, were arrested by police after inspecting a red Ford Focus car the pair had left parked in a street in the area of Padre Llanos and Esteban Carros.
According to the officers, while trying to clear the streets of drinkers and bottles that night, they noticed a woman (one of the accused) clearly intoxicated, staggering toward the car and trying to open the door.
Once approached by the police, she was asked for her documentation to prevent her from driving in such a state. Officers noticed that inside the vehicle there were two very young girls asleep. The minors were squashed between plastic bags and cardboard cartons to keep them warm.
The younger of the two girls, who was later found to be just 2 years old, was so cold that she could not stop coughing.
Given the state of the woman, the adverse weather conditions (it was very cold that night), and the very poor conditions in which the minors were, the officers requested the help of the Samur-Civil Protection doctors, who upon arrival verified that the 2-year-old girl has a fever of 40º and a severe respiratory condition. The girls said they had not eaten for more than 15 hours.
Both minors were quickly transferred to the Niño Jesús hospital, where they were both diagnosed with lung problems. The girls were cared for by the psychologist on duty, who, after meeting with the minors and the mother, urgently referred the proceedings to Social Services due to the risk to the minors.
The mother was arrested at the hospital and agents from Puente de Vallecas went to the family home to arrest the other parent but were unsuccessful at first since he was not there. They arrested him the next morning as he was preparing to leave home.
The minor under 5 years of age, once discharged from the hospital, was transferred to a child support reception center by the agents of the social care unit.
The doctors recommended foster care since this was not the first time that It had happened to the girls- reported the Municipal Police.
Possible Sentences
The Spanish Penal Code penalises the abandonment of a minor or an incapable person by the person in charge of their guardianship with imprisonment for one to two years. If the abandonment is carried out by the parents, guardians, or legal guardians, a prison sentence of between 18 months and three years in jail can be imposed.
