Staff Reporter
PARENTS wanted in the Netherlands for kidnapping their three children have been arrested in the Port of Tarifa.
The couple, of Dutch and Spanish nationality, attempted to flee to Morocco on May 18, defying a Dutch court ruling that prohibited them from having contact with their children.
They were carrying passports, valuables, jewelry and cash.
READ MORE: CCTV shows last sighting of missing Gracie-May Rogers, 2, before her abduction to Spain
Dutch authorities said the children were in a high-risk situation where they were deliberately deprived by their parents of essential medical care.
One child had serious physical injuries consistent with abuse, including a cerebral hemorrhage and arm fractures. Requiring urgent neurosurgical care, they were immediately transferred to the Tarifa health centre.
The three children have since been placed in a safe environment with a foster family in the province of Cádiz. Their parents have been transferred to Madrid and they remain in prison while the extradition procedure is processed.
Spain’s National Police has said the case could have had life-threatening consequences, if it had not been stopped in time.
READ MORE: ‘Man in white van’ wanted over attempted child abduction in Spain’s Mallorca
