ISSUE NO. 1645
12 - 18 January 2017
MALLORCA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
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Child sex charges ‘Fraud couple’ deny child sex abuse claims By Simon Firth A Spanish couple accused of fraud after raising nearly €1 million by claiming their young daughter has a rare genetic condition, now face further legal action. Fernando Blanco, the father of the girl, who is now 15 and is staying with family in Mallorca, is to face a probe into alleged child pornography offences after explicit images were found on a computer. The girl’s parents are said to be “shocked and offended” by the claim, according to their lawyer, Alberto Martin. “We have not seen the files or the photographs,” he told reporters. But the presiding judge reportedly said new evidence “clearly shows that the accused (the father) sexually exploited their child.” Police and computer experts are said to be sifting through 13 USB pen drives, seven memory cards and
three computer hard drives. The couple are due to appear in court again on Friday in connection with allegations of child pornography and sexual exploitation charges. While the mother, Margarita Grau, is currently on bail, Blanco has been held in custody. The family came to prominence after being accused of fraud over their daughter’s
FERNANDO BLANCO: Is facing further legal action.
genetic condition, TTD, which can cause intellectual disability and lead to early death. After fundraising began in 2008 they were said to have amassed €918,000 in donations which it is claimed they used for their “personal enjoyment.” The father told a Catalonia court it was used to travel overseas to see experts in the
hope of finding effective treatment. But prosecutors point to luxury items in the family home, including a new car, watches and expensive elect r oni c equi pm ent as evi dence of “l arge scal e fraud.” Blanco, it has been revealed, served a jail term for defrauding a previous employer.