A 34-year old Romanian man was arrested on Sunday accused of the attempted abduction of a child from the Valencia beach of Playa de la Malvarrosa.
Local police officers saw the man carrying a 5-year old child who was shouting for his mother. Upon questioning the man, the officers were told that the child had just been rescued from the sea where he had been having difficulty swimming and that the child´s parents were not attentive.
Noting that the child was dry the officers became more suspicious and detained the man to question his motives whilst the child identified his mother and was safely returned.
The man appeared in court charged with the illegal detention of a minor and was released pending a psychiatric assessment.
As summer is a time when beaches and play areas become busier, it is even more important than ever to be vigilant around children, keeping a close and constant watch on their activities, and reporting any suspicious behaviour to the police. Although abductions are rare in Spain they do occur, but the risk of other safety related incidents such as drowning or suffering injury is greatly increased.