the infant found, what we know about his state of health

Kidnapped by his parents during the night from Monday to Tuesday, little Santiago was found Friday October 25 around 7:30 p.m. According to information provided by BFMTV, the 20-day-old infant was in a hotel near Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. While the kidnapping alert had been triggered because the baby, very premature, required constant medical care, a source close to the case told the 24-hour news channel this Friday evening that the state of health of the infant is described as “good”.

Extremely premature, little Santiago was kidnapped during the night from Monday to Tuesday at the Robert Ballanger hospital. His parents were quickly named as the main suspects. Investigators initially found traces of the couple in Belgium, thanks to video surveillance images and the discovery of the vehicle used by the two individuals to leave France in Charleroi. But since then, the couple has remained untraceable. The Bobigny public prosecutor therefore announced the issuance of a European arrest warrant against Santiago’s parents who were suspected of having left Belgium.

Santiago’s kidnapping put the child’s life in danger. The authorities had indicated that after 12 hours without care, the danger of death increased for the premature baby. The diagnosis was more difficult to establish, but every hour spent outside a medical facility was indeed dangerous for the child. According to information from BFMTV, Santiago, due to his premature birth, was unable to breastfeed or bottle feed when he was in the maternity ward, but premature babies need a suitable diet to continue their development. They are also more vulnerable to infectious risks, which are very numerous at this time of year. They sometimes have to take certain medications and must be cared for, whether for checking vital signs or renewing care.

Who are Santiago’s parents, suspected of the kidnapping?

Santiago’s parents are the main suspects in the kidnapping. They are a man, Kevin, aged 23, and a woman, Cristina, aged 25, both of Serbian origin and part of the Roma community. Both of Santiago’s parents are known to the police. The father was convicted of organized gang violence and the mother is known for drug use. According to a source close to the file cited by The Parisianthe parents would have kidnapped their child, removing him from essential medical care, driven by the fear of having custody of the latter taken away. No such action had been taken before the kidnapping, but it had been “considered.” Found by the police, the original couple saw themselves, due to the kidnapping, automatically withdrawing custody of the infant this Friday evening. It will remain that way until a judge rules on his case.

While the parents were still being sought, five people were arrested on the morning of October 22. Aged 16 to 29, they had all been taken into police custody for “organized gang kidnapping of a 15-year-old minor”. Two of them are said to have played a major role in Santiago’s kidnapping.