Sunday, August 31, 2014

Family of Ashya King demand release of his parents as he lies in Spanish ... - Telegraph.co.uk


But he and his wife, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, were held under a European arrest warrant on suspicion of child neglect when discovered in a hostel near Malaga and have not seen their son since.


Ashya was being treated under police guard in a children’s hospital in the Spanish town while his parents were due in court in Madrid on Monday for an extradition hearing.


Mrs King said her son had gone to Spain to sell a family apartment in order to fund a £90,000 treatment known as proton beam therapy.


She said the decision was taken after doctors in the UK said there was no more they could do for Ashya but his parents were now being treated as criminals.


She said: “I am so upset. It has been an absolute disgrace and I have nothing but condemnation for the police.


“I cannot understand why they have taken the parents away from Ashya and they are not allowed to see him.


“How is that going to help the poor little love?”


She added: “I just wish they hadn't been found. I completely trust Brett's opinion on it all and he's very angry about what's gone on over the last few days.


"It's absolutely disgusting to see our family all over the news.”


On the police hunt, she added: “It has been taken too far - much too far.”


An online petition launched by a family friend and demanding the release of the Kings has more than 3,400 signatures.


Ashya older brother Naveed also set up a donation page after being inundated with support, which has already raised more than £1,500.


He said on his Facebook site: “I have received hundreds of emails overnight of people wanting to donate to help Ashya.”


He said the family had not asked for external help but were thankful for the “genuine” desire by many to support his brother.


Naveed and the Kings’ five other children are still in Malaga and likely to be visiting their youngest brother in hospital in their parents’ absence.


The King family leaving the Hostal Esperanza in Benajarafe


(SOLARPIX.COM)


In the YouTube video, Mr King, a Jehovah's Witness, explained that the family had decided to take him out of hospital to seek a cancer treatment called proton beam which is not available on the NHS.


Mr and Mrs King were due to appear in court on Monday morning for a judge to decide whether they should be extradited.


If they appeal such a decision they could be in Spain for several months.


Officers from Hampshire Constabulary arrived in Malaga on Sunday night to interview the couple as the force defended its actions despite finding the youngster well cared for.


Hampshire Police issued the arrest warrant on ground of suspected neglect after doctors told them the young boy’s life could be in danger because he needed complex care and the battery on the special machine that fed him would run out.


However Ashya showed no signs of distress when found and while initially taken to a high dependency ward at a nearby hospital was quickly moved to a low dependency ward.


The family were found after an employee at the Hostel Esperanza in Benajarafe, where they were staying, alerted police after seeing an appeal on Twitter. Esperanza is Spanish for Hope.


Hours before his arrest, Mr King issued a video on YouTube in which he called on police to end the “ridiculous chase”.


Pictured with Ashya alongside him on the bed, he said he wanted his son to have Proton Beam therapy which is not available for the treatment of brain cancer in the UK and therefore had no choice but to take him out of the hospital.


University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said it had offered the family the chance of a second opinion over his treatment and help in organising treatment abroad.


Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead, of Hampshire Constabulary, said he was aware the police's approach had created a "significant amount of debate".


But he said: "We had medical experts telling us that Ashya was in grave danger. Medical experts were saying to us that if he didn't get the care that he needed, there was a potential threat to his life.


"Faced with those circumstances, I make no apology for the police being as proactive as we possibly can to actually find Ashya and ensure that he gets the help he needed."









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