Malaga mother sentenced for forcing daughter to wait on the balcony while she engaged in prostitution

The provincial court of Malaga has sentenced a woman to one year and six months in prison for the crime of child abandonment.

The court ruling, which also includes the removal of her custody of her daughter and a restraining order, states that the defendant forced the girl to wait on the balcony or in the street while she engaged in prostitution at their home.

The events in question date back to 2017, when the defendant's daughter was eleven years old. At that time, both the woman and her partner, who was already convicted for these same acts in 2015, worked as prostitutes outside their home. However, the mother would also bring her clients home, while her daughter was inside.

The mother would send the girl to wait on the balcony until they were finished or, on other occasions, force her to remain in the street, during which time the child was completely alone.

The ruling also stated that the girl lived in extremely unsanitary conditions and suffered from both material and emotional neglect. The girl's sleep schedule was completely disrupted and she would remain awake at night and sleep during the day, without either her mother or her mother's partner taking any steps to ensure she could live a life with even a modicum of normalcy.

According to the ruling, the parents failed to enrol the girl in school in order to avoid intervention by child protection services. The court also noted that the home lacked basic living conditions, appliances and a kitchen, forcing the girl to regularly eat at fast-food chains.

According to the ruling, the mother continuously omitted the legal obligation of care and attention towards the minor that corresponded to her by virtue of her status as a parent.

The woman admitted to the facts before the court, reaching a plea agreement with the prosecution. As a result, she was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, although her incarceration was suspended on the condition that she does not commit any further offences within five years and that she pays the civil damages for harming the child's well-being.

The defendant has lost the exercise of parental authority, as well as the rights of guardianship and foster care for six years. She will not be able to approach her daughter for five years and will have to compensate her with 5,000 euros.

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