Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s child-protection services have stepped in after police uncovered an alleged attempt to sell a newborn girl in Málaga for €3,000. What began as a routine hospital alert has now grown into a criminal investigation involving the baby’s biological mother and a couple who had long struggled with infertility. Authorities say the case is a stark reminder that, despite strict adoption laws, illegal child transfers remain a hidden problem.
The warning came from staff in a Málaga hospital who noticed behaviour that didn’t fit the usual pattern of post-birth care. The mother showed no intention of staying with the newborn, while two unrelated adults hovered as if preparing to leave with the child. Under Spain’s mandatory reporting rules, the medical team alerted social services.
Child-protection officials issued an emergency measure to safeguard the baby and followed the case through to the civil registry, where further irregularities emerged.
Registration fraud uncovered
The situation escalated when the couple attempted to register the newborn as their daughter. Routine checks by the National Police flagged inconsistencies in the declaration of paternity. Officers suspected that the man claiming to be the father had no biological link to the baby.
DNA tests later confirmed that suspicion. Investigators then uncovered evidence of an agreement: the biological mother had allegedly arranged to hand over the child in exchange for €3,000 once registration formalities were complete.
Arrests and charges
The biological mother and the couple have been detained on suspicion of document forgery and fraudulent establishment of parenthood. Police say the central issue is the attempt to circumvent Spain’s formal adoption system by engineering a false legal identity for the child.
For now, the newborn has been placed in emergency foster care under the supervision of the Andalucian authorities. Specialists will decide whether she remains in temporary protection or moves into a long-term care pathway.
The silence Spain still hasn´t broken
A window into a wider problem
While the case is shocking, experts note that it sits within a broader pattern. Spain’s adoption rules are strict, and fertility treatments can be emotionally and financially draining. This combination has, for years, created pockets of vulnerability where illegal arrangements may surface.
Child-protection agencies warn that the Málaga case should serve as a wake-up call. They say vigilance from hospitals, social workers and registrars is essential to preventing fraudulent adoptions and to protecting newborns who may be at risk of being transferred outside the legal system.
The judicial process will now determine the future of the baby and the legal consequences for the adults involved. But the episode adds new urgency to conversations already taking place within Spain about fertility pressures, adoption bottlenecks and whether current safeguards are strong enough to stop similar cases emerging in the shadows.
Sources: Diario Sur, El Mundo