A NEWBORN baby girl has been rescued from an illegal sale after police uncovered a plan by an infertile couple to ‘buy’ her for €3,000.
Officers moved in after receiving an alert that the child’s biological mother had agreed to hand over the baby while still in a Malaga hospital in exchange for cash.
The couple would then attempt to pass the infant off as their own through a false paternity declaration.
Police say the pair, who had been undergoing fertility treatment and were unable to have children, approached the mother and reached a financial agreement for her to carry and deliver the baby on their behalf.
To avoid Spain’s strict adoption procedures, investigators believe they planned for the man to register himself as the girl’s father at the civil registry, presenting the child as his biological daughter.
The operation was activated while the baby was still in medical care, allowing officers to stop the alleged handover before it took place. The child has since been placed in protective foster care.
Sources involved in the case said the plot combined ‘desperation and illegality’, with police now investigating all three adults for offences linked to the illegal sale of a minor and falsification of identity.
Authorities have reminded the public that attempting to obtain a child outside the legal adoption system is a serious criminal offence in Spain.
Click here to read more Málaga News from The Olive Press.
