A British couple have been arrested after allegedly leaving their three young children alone in a hotel on the Costa del Sol, with two of the youngsters reportedly testing positive for cocaine.
The children, including a six-month-old baby, were discovered at a hotel in Benalmadena in what authorities described as deeply concerning conditions.
According to reports first published by Cadena SER, the infant and one of the other children tested positive for cocaine after receiving medical treatment.
The children were transferred to Malaga’s Materno Infantil Hospital and have since been placed under the protection of the Andalusian government’s child welfare services.
The parents, a 41-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, were arrested by the Policia Nacional on suspicion of child abandonment.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being handled by the Family and Women’s Care Unit (UFAM) at the Torremolinos-Benalmadena police station.
Sources cited by Spanish media said officers found the children in a worrying state.
The hotel room was reportedly in severe disarray and lacked suitable living conditions.
Investigators believe the eldest child, a four-year-old boy, had effectively been caring for his younger siblings despite his age.
The children were also reportedly found wandering unattended in communal areas of the hotel.
The Junta confirmed that all three minors have now been taken into care and placed with a foster family.
The investigation continues.
