British woman who fled to Spain from abusive husband faces extradition by courts

A BRITISH WOMAN who fled to Almeria with her children in October 2019 must return to her abusive husband in the UK the Spanish courts have ruled. 

In a hearing at the end of July, the woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was told that as the UK was a safe country with an effective legal system she should return home and resolve the issue of child custody there. 

The four children, aged 5, 7, 10 and 12 – the eldest with severe autism – have allegedly suffered at the hands of their father’s violence. 

“He whipped our daughter when she was only three,”  the woman told the Olive Press. “His anger just couldn’t handle having children.”

“They all had welts on their legs and backs. Once he pulled a gun on our daughter just because she didn’t want to finish her dinner. He even used photos of them for target practise,” she said. 

So far in the fight to keep her children safe with her in Spain, the terrified Warwickshire woman has spent over 50 thousand euros on legal aid. 

Almeria became the bolthole of choice as the family had been visiting the area for the past eight years making it a comforting home away from home. 

Many women fleeing abusive relationships with children choose Greece rather than Spain as they do not extradite to the UK in this circumstance. 

Police had been sent to the families’ home in Warwickshire on multiple occasions when the husband allegedly began shooting at their car and neighbours’ houses with an overpowered air rifle. 

Following this incident, the man was temporarily detained and his gun license revoked. Yet, in his wife’s absence, the UK courts have granted the gunman custody of their children. There is no mention of violence in the trial notes. 

“The police have failed us completely. I’ve been traumatised twice. Once by him and once by the legal proceedings,” the woman said.