Parents Board Plane Alone at Barcelona Airport in Spain
Parents Claim "We Contacted a Relative to Pick Up the Child"
Couple Charged with Child Abandonment
It was reported that in Spain, parents left their ten-year-old son alone at the airport after his passport had expired.
On August 5 (local time), international media outlets such as USA Today reported that at the end of last month, a couple who were about to go on vacation at Barcelona El Prat Airport in Spain boarded a plane, leaving their 10-year-old son behind at the airport. Fortunately, the child, who was left alone at the airport, was found by airport staff, who provided temporary care and then reported the incident to the police. The couple's nationality has not been disclosed.
After confirming the child's identity, airport authorities discovered that the child's parents were already on board the plane. The airport authorities halted the plane's departure, located the parents on the aircraft, and had them disembark, after which the child was handed over to them. At the time, the parents were on the plane with another young child.
According to a police investigation, the parents left the child at the airport and boarded the plane themselves after realizing that the child could not board because his passport had expired. The parents argued, "We couldn't afford to lose our plane tickets," and claimed, "There was no problem because we contacted a relative to come and pick up the child." The police have charged the couple with child abandonment and are investigating the circumstances.
An airport staff member explained, "The child had an expired Spanish passport and no visa," and added, "The couple left the child at the airport and called a relative to come and get him." The staff member also pointed out, "There was no way to know whether it would take 30 minutes, an hour, or three hours for the relative to arrive," and criticized, "They boarded the plane far too calmly, leaving their ten-year-old son at the airport." This incident became widely known after the staff member shared it on social networking services (SNS).
Internet users around the world who learned about this story strongly criticized the parents. They expressed outrage, saying, "No matter what, how can you leave a child alone without a guardian?", "What if something happened, like an accident or kidnapping, before the relative arrived?", and "The parents are out of their minds." In fact, in May of this year, at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, United States, a two-year-old child was separated from their parents and swept onto a baggage conveyor belt.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
