Couple Accused of Selling 14-Year-Old Daughter for €5,000

A couple in Spain has been accused of selling their 14-year-old daughter to a 22-year-old man for €5,000 (approximately $5,200) around three years ago, according to local media reports. The case came to light after the girl managed to escape and the parents, who went to a police station in Cádiz to report her missing, were arrested alongside the man. Local outlets, including La Vanguardia, reported that the arrests occurred in early December.

The girl, who has filed a formal complaint, told authorities that she endured severe psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. She disclosed that she was forced to live with the man in a delivery van, where she was made to collect scrap metal for money. Further reports revealed that the girl was sexually assaulted by another man when she was just 12, an incident allegedly arranged by her father.

The father remains in custody, while the mother and the man, whom the girl was coerced into marrying in 2021, have been released on probation. The accused face charges of human trafficking, sexual violence, and child abuse, with the possibility of lengthy prison sentences if found guilty.