25 July 2023 , 11:50
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Police have arrested a man who allegedly tried to snatch a toddler on a beach on the Spanish island of Ibiza.
He is accused of trying to take the child after kissing her on the cheek before being held by an off-duty cop who heard the two-year-old girl’s mum screaming on Talamanca beach.
Detectives went public with the alleged snatch attempt today. They have not yet named the beach where the drama is said to have occurred or revealed the nationality of the mum and her little girl. The suspect is said to be a Moroccan man and put up resistance before his arrest, police said.
A spokesman for the National Police in the Balearic Islands said: “Officers have arrested a Moroccan man as the suspected author of a crime of unlawful detention, sexual assault, resisting arrest and disobedience, after he tried to take a two-year-old girl on a beach in Ibiza who he kissed on the face.
Saying the incident occurred last Wednesday at 12.30pm, he added: “The man, without apparent motive, grabbed hold of the girl and starting kissing her on the cheek and stopping her from escaping.
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“At that moment the girl’s mum grabbed hold of her daughter and freed her from the man’s grip. She went to another spot on the beach which was a fair distance from where they had been sitting and the man came up to them and grabbed hold of the girl again and went into the sea with her.
“The youngster’s mum started yelling because the man was ignoring her and wouldn’t let go of her daughter. At that point an off-duty police officer who was on the beach and heard the mum’s screams came to help and managed to reunite the mum with her daughter.
“He ordered the man to move away several times but the man adopted a violent attitude and threw himself on the off-duty police officer who had to reduce him and retain him until more police help arrived. The suspect was arrested for alleged unlawful detention of a minor as well as for crimes of sexual assault, resistance and disobedience.”
It was not immediately clear today if he has already appeared before a judge and been bailed or remanded in custody.
The beach is popular with tourists from all parts of the world as well as locals. It is backed by hotels including four and five-star establishments with plenty of self-catering villas nearby. One well-known online travel website named it this year as one of the seven best beaches to visit in Ibiza.