A French couple accused of abducting their premature baby from a Paris hospital appeared in court in Amsterdam on Monday and was placed in custody. The 23-year-old man and 25-year-old woman were arrested at an Amsterdam hotel on Friday and are now waiting to be extradited to France.
Their baby, Santiago, was born prematurely on October 6 at a Paris hospital. Last week, the parents took him and fled, prompting French authorities to label the case as an abduction due to Santiago’s need for constant medical care. After an Amber Alert was issued, the couple was located at Hotel Neutraal in Amsterdam.
According to the French Public Prosecution Service, Santiago is in good health and is now being cared for in a safe environment. The French Prosecutor did not provide many details about the parents’ motives but indicated they might have been worried about losing custody of their child.
When authorities found him on Friday, the baby was wrapped in a blanket. Along with Santiago and his parents, the hotel room contained the child’s grandmother and two other children: a 3-year-old girl, likely Santiago’s sister, and a 10-year-old boy, whose relationship to the family is unclear.
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