Barcelona Infant Discharged to Foster Care After Hospital Flags Suspected Abuse

Overview

• The baby left Vall d'Hebron after nearly a month and moved to a foster family under state custody, with scheduled follow-up checks.
• Clinicians did not flag abuse during several visits to other centers in early March, then Sant Pau found a femur fracture, head injuries and anal wounds and referred the case to Vall d'Hebron under the child-violence protocol.
• Mossos d'Esquadra arrested the parents and a judge ordered pretrial detention and transferred custody to Catalonia’s child-protection agency.
• Prosecutors accuse them of habitual maltreatment, very serious injuries and sexual aggression with penetration, and the defense has asked for genetic tests to argue a medical cause.
• Catalonia’s health minister said the child will likely live with lasting organic and neurological damage, and hospital staff noted the baby improved after separation.