The charred house where the children were found by police. SUR

Three girls found in fire-damaged, filthy home taken into care by Malaga child protection services

The parents of the girls aged 3, 5 and 13 are being investigated as allegedly responsible for their abandonment

Irene Quirante

Malaga

Friday, 14 April 2023, 10:31

Three young girls have been handed over to the care of Malaga child protection service after they were found living in a partially burnt house and among piles of rubbish in Cártama.

The parents of the girls aged 3, 5 and 13 are being investigated as allegedly being responsible for their abandonment.

Aprome child protection officers, belonging to the National Police force unit, found a large amount of household goods, rubbish and domestic waste piled up inside the family home.

The house was also partially burnt from a previous fire, and was in an uninhabitable and unhealthy state for anybody to live in, police said.

During the investigation police established the sisters would spend large parts of the day locked in the house, with hardly any contact with other children of their age.

Social services staff at Cártama Town Hall had reportedly been working with the family for some time.

According to the regional authorities the parents may suffer from Diogenes syndrome, characterised by poor personal hygiene, hoarding, and unkempt living conditions, and in the case of the mother, mental health issues.