Lorraine Williamson
A woman and her two children have been rescued in Málaga after a harrowing 13-day ordeal that began in France. Spanish police, working closely with French authorities, freed the family from a car where they had been living in extreme conditions after being kidnapped by the woman’s ex-partner. The man, who had held them captive across Spain and Portugal, has been arrested and is now in prison awaiting trial.
The case began on 3 October, when French police issued an urgent alert for the missing woman and her two children. The National Police in Spain immediately launched a coordinated search, suspecting that the family was travelling through the country in a vehicle. What they uncovered was a shocking story of control, violence, and survival.
According to investigators, the man had forcibly taken his ex-partner, destroying her mobile phone so she could not call for help. He forced her to drive more than 2,000 kilometres across the Iberian Peninsula, often threatening her with a knife and assaulting her both physically and sexually — all in front of their children.
Thirteen days of fear and hunger
During the two-week ordeal, the family lived inside the vehicle, without access to hygiene facilities or clean clothes. They survived on a meagre diet of tinned tuna, biscuits, and bread bought at motorway service stations. The conditions were described by police as “extremely unsanitary”.
The turning point came when the woman managed, in a rare moment of distraction, to seize a mobile phone and send a desperate message to a relative: “He wants to kill me, call the police, they’re the only ones who can save me — and delete this so he doesn’t see it.”
Captor caught before fleeing to Algeria
That single message set off a chain of rapid police action. Spanish officers located the family in Málaga, where the suspect was planning to flee to Algeria to evade a European arrest warrant issued by French authorities. The arrest was coordinated by the UFAM Central unit (Family and Women’s Care Unit), who approached with caution to avoid any sudden reaction that could endanger the victims.
Once the operation concluded, the woman and her children were taken immediately to hospital. Medical staff confirmed signs of malnutrition and dehydration. The woman was found with bruises and bite marks, while the children suffered from insect bites across their bodies. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered the knife used to threaten the woman and her destroyed mobile phone.
Suspect behind bars
The man now faces a long list of serious charges, including attempted homicide, aggravated sexual assault, unlawful detention, domestic violence, invasion of privacy, and criminal damage. After appearing before a judge, he was remanded in custody pending trial.
The National Police have praised the swift cooperation between Spanish and French authorities, which they say was decisive in saving the lives of the victims. The case stands as a stark reminder of the dangers of domestic violence and the crucial role of cross-border collaboration in tackling such crimes.