Infant Tests Positive for Cocaine
British couple arrested in Spain for child abandonment; infant tested positive for cocaine
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Spain’s National Police said a specialist unit, UFAM (family and women assistance), is involved in the case, alongside Junta de Andalucia social services. A spokesman added: “A British man aged 41 and a woman aged 28 have been held on suspicion of a crime of child abandonment.”
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Reporting said police refused to comment on local reports that the six-month-old tested positive for cocaine, despite confirming the suspects were held for child abandonment.
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Authorities were expected to hold the couple in police custody overnight before taking them to court for a first hearing before a judge (though this was described as not yet confirmed).
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The earlier, separate Costa del Sol case (February) was triggered after officers received reports of a bonfire under a large tree near Marbella. Police found the British woman and her partner camping near Cabopino Beach and an uninsured car with an expired MOT; officers took the infant for a check-up because they suspected the child could be malnourished.
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In that February case, the child was taken from Las Albarizas Health Centre to a Costa del Sol Hospital near Marbella, where an initial examination found the baby boy was underweight for his age and cocaine was detected on a urine test; the infant was admitted to a paediatric unit for further testing.
Spanish police arrested a British couple on Thursday after they left their three young children — aged four, two, and six months — alone in a Costa del Sol hotel room while they went out partying, according to Sur in English. The youngest child, a six-month-old infant, tested positive for cocaine. All three children were taken into emergency care by regional authorities.
The father, 41, and the mother, 28, were detained at the Holiday World Resort in Benalmádena in the early hours of June 11, The Mirror reported. Police found the hotel room in a state of disarray. The four-year-old was reportedly trying to care for the younger siblings alone.
Four-Year-Old Left Caring for Baby Siblings
A tip-off prompted Spain's National Police to visit the hotel in the early hours of Thursday morning, Sur in English reported. Officers found the room in disarray. The eldest child, just four years old, was trying to look after the two-year-old and the six-month-old infant on their own.
Investigators described the scene as "worrying." The children were transferred to Málaga's Materno Infantil Hospital for urgent medical checks. Local radio station Cadena Ser reported that the infant tested positive for cocaine, according to The Olive Press. The Junta de Andalucía's child protection services took emergency guardianship of all three children.
Specialist Family Unit Leading the Investigation
Spain's National Police confirmed the arrests in a statement. A spokesperson said: "A British man aged 41 and a woman aged 28 have been held on suspicion of a crime of child abandonment," according to The Mirror. The specialist UFAM unit — which handles family and women's welfare cases — is leading the investigation alongside regional social services.
Police declined to comment on reports that the infant tested positive for cocaine, despite confirming the abandonment charges, Sur in English noted. The couple was expected to spend the night in custody before appearing before a judge for a first hearing, though this had not been formally confirmed by Thursday afternoon.
Second British Family Cocaine Case on Costa del Sol This Year
The Benalmádena arrest is not the first such case on the Costa del Sol in 2026. In February, police responded to reports of a bonfire near Cabopino Beach, close to Marbella. They found a 25-year-old British woman and her 43-year-old Spanish partner living in a tent with their eight-month-old baby, according to The Olive Press.
Officers took the infant to Las Albarizas Health Centre and then to Costa del Sol Hospital. Doctors found the baby was underweight for his age. A urine test came back positive for cocaine. The child was admitted to a paediatric unit for further tests. The mother was arrested on child welfare grounds, The Olive Press reported.
Parents Could Face Up to Three Years Under Spanish Law
Under Spain's Penal Code, child abandonment by a parent or legal guardian carries a sentence of 18 months to three years in prison. That is laid out in Article 229, which covers the physical abandonment of a minor. If authorities prove the infant's cocaine exposure resulted from negligence or deliberate action, the couple could face additional charges.
The Holiday World Resort, where the incident took place, is a large complex with more than 850 rooms across three hotels and apartment blocks, The Mirror noted. The Junta de Andalucía will now assess whether the children can be placed with extended family — either in Spain or in the UK — or whether they will enter the Spanish foster system.
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