A shocking plan by a couple from Carcans, Gironde, to 'sacrifice' their five-year-old child in the Sahara was thwarted by French and Spanish authorities just before Christmas.
The French couple, known for their seemingly caring nature and involvement in the local music school, alarmed a friend with their disturbing statements about their son. The friend informed the police which ended up leading to their arrest in Spain on December 21. The father, previously hospitalized for psychiatric reasons, and his wife were plotting to cross into Africa, driven by delusional beliefs. This is reported by 20 Minutes.
The alert was raised on December 19 after the friend's report.
'Their Plan Was to Reach Sahara'
French and Spanish law enforcement collaborated rapidly, tracking the couple's movement towards Spain. The couple had left Carcans on December 16, spending a night in a hotel and then at a friend's place in Hérault before heading to Algésiras to take a ferry to Morocco.
Their intention, according to Spanish authorities, was to subject their son to a pseudo-ritual in the Sahara, potentially involving abandonment or a sacrifice, underpinned by the parents' distorted religious or sectarian beliefs.
"The technical investigations and the very good cooperation with the Civil Guard, via the CCPD [Police and Customs Cooperation Center of Hendaye], made it possible to determine that their plan was to reach the Sahara to subject their son to a pseudo-rite initiatory" says Commander Cédric Roger from the CCPD.
The child, fortunately unharmed, is now under the care of Spanish social services, with arrangements for return to France being finalized.
The couple remains in provisional detention in Spain, awaiting extradition proceedings.
