Tom Powell
A BRITISH man sparked outrage after he was released on bail following an attempted kidnap of a Spanish toddler.
Locals in Lanzarote were amazed after the British man was merely ordered to appear in court twice a month following the incident.
Stephen Raphael Manning, 25, allegedly tried to snatch the four-year-old boy from outside his grandmother’s house in Tias on Sunday.
Neighbours spotted the man trying to walk off with the child and alerted his relatives.
The boy’s family, aided by neighbours, managed to locate Manning and the lad in the grounds of a nearby complex.
Manning, believed to be holidaying alone, appeared in a closed court session after refusing to answer police questions about the incident.
He was charged with illegal detention, but released on bail. He has been ordered to report to the court on the first and 15th of each month.
The police are awaiting forensic reports, believing Manning may have a mental illness.
If this guy does have a mental illness and has attempted such an outrageous act, surely that is even more reason to deny him bail. If he is sick, he will have no inhibitions about committing further acts of this nature.