Man arrested in Malaga for kidnapping his ex-partner took advantage of being allowed to see their one- and three-year-old children
24 hours of exhaustive surveillance around Malaga's port led to the suspect's arrest and the victims' rescue
The man, 24, who was arrested in Malaga after holding his 22-year-old ex-partner and their two little children as hostages during a 2,000-kilometre journey from France for 13 days had taken advantage of being allowed to see the children.
The couple had been separated for a year. She had previously reported him for abuse, as a result of which he had a restraining order. However, as a gesture of kindness, she had agreed to let him see their one-year-old and three-year-old on 3 October, which is when he kidnapped them.
The woman was forced to travel in the man's car for 2,000 kilometres from France to Malaga, where the police managed to intercept them and arrest her ex-partner, thanks to a message she had sent to a friend. His aim was to reach Algeria so that he could evade the European authorities. During the journey, he threatened her with a knife and continuously abused and raped her in front of their children.
As soon as he kidnapped them, the man took his ex-girlfriend's mobile phone and broke it so that she could not contact anybody. However, he kept her SIM card. She managed to quickly contact a friend of hers while he was out to get food. "He wants to kill me, call the police, they are the only ones who can save me, and delete everything so he doesn't see it," she wrote.
The French authorities alerted the Spanish security forces as soon as they learned that the victims could be in Spain. On 13 October, the police from the family and women's assistance unit started a 24-hour exhaustive surveillance operation in the area around the port of Malaga.
They located the vehicle only three days after the French authorities had alerted them. However, every hour was crucial, given the state of the victims, who were malnourished, dehydrated, with bruises and insect bites.
Tuna, biscuits and bread
During the whole journey, the suspect only offered them cans of tuna, biscuits and bread that he would buy at petrol stations. It was during one of his trips to buy food, on 16 October, when the police arrested him. He has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated and continuous sexual assault, unlawful detention, an international judicial warrant, domestic and gender-based abuse, a violation of privacy and property damage. The court ordered his immediate imprisonment.
The woman and her two children, who had been travelling without being allowed to change their clothes for 13 days, were immediately taken to a hospital. They had been living in "extremely unsanitary" conditions inside the car. The police have arranged a foster home in which they will stay until the woman's father comes from France to pick them up. According to sources, the young woman has been cooperative and grateful. Her wish is to return to Malaga one day and sunbathe.
