The Public Prosecutor's Office has opposed a petition for the release of the parents of a baby allegedly abused in Barcelona. Sources from the Public Prosecutor's Office explained that it has requested that provisional imprisonment be maintained due to flight risk, possible destruction of evidence and protection of the victim.

The prosecution also requested that an appeal hearing before Barcelona's Provincial Court be held with oral arguments. This followed a defence appeal against a decision by the judge of the Violence Against Children and Adolescents section of the Court of First Instance, who had previously rejected a reform motion and maintained the parents in custody.

Hospital discharge and foster care

The infant was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, 15 April, and left Hospital Vall d'Hebron, where he had been admitted since 16 March, with a foster family. The General Directorate for the Prevention and Protection of Children and Adolescents (Dgppia) assumed guardianship of the minor.

The parents were remanded in custody on 20 March. They are under investigation for charges including habitual abuse, grievous bodily harm and sexual assault with penetration. The custody decision followed the infant's hospitalisation at Vall d'Hebron with serious injuries.

The case now moves to Barcelona's Provincial Court for oral arguments on the defence's appeal against continued imprisonment. The prosecution's opposition signals that authorities intend to pursue the case with the parents in custody pending trial. The infant's placement with a foster family marks a step in the child protection process whilst legal proceedings continue.