Edition 92
www.thecourier.es
Friday, November 23, 2012
GARDENER’S QUESTION TIME By DONNA GEE THE relieved mother of a 10-year-old schoolboy involved in a new child abduction scare now believes the child’s assailant had no malicious intent. The middle-aged Spaniard accosted the British boy and his 11year-old friend as they were playing in the barbecue area of Parque Cunado in Benijofar. The man – who had been driving a brown Mercedes – approached them, saying he wanted to take them to the local Town Hall. When he made a grab at one of the boys, they understandably ran to the safety of their nearby homes. The incident sparked a new wave of panic among parents who have been on constant alert since the attempted kidnap of an n eight-year-old British girl in Entre Naranjos three weeks ago. She fought the
Latest ‘abduction bid’ was just a misunderstanding Ryanair in the dock over justice block
Moroccan man off – but community leaders later warned that the would-be abductor may well try again in any area. Amid fears that the demon had struck again, this time in Benijofar, the suspect was quickly apprehended. The man proved to be a council contract gardener and the Town Hall is dealing with the matter accordingly. Meanwhile, the boy’s mother told The Courier on Wednesday: "From what I now gather, the man thought the boys were doing damage and wanted to stop them, He just went about it in completely the wrong manner.’’
RYANAIR has finally met its match in the Spanish Courts – and swallowed a fine for knowingly obstructing the justice system. Michael O’Leary’s notorious budget airline must pay 600 euros, plus court costs, for knowingly obstructing the functioning of the Spanish justice system. The penalty imposed by Commercial Court No 1 in Valencia is the maximum in a case of this nature. Ryanair was summoned to the same court last September, and condemned to pay a fine of 930 euros to a minor who was denied access to a flight between Valencia and Sevilla for failing to carry his Spanish Identification Card (DNI).
By HEIDI WARDMAN The incident happened on August 15, and it was ruled that Ryanair’s actions were in breach of Spanish Aviation Law, which states that children under the age of 14 who are accompanied by their parents, “do not have to carry any identification.” The sentence was dealt without the option to appeal, but no representative from Ryanair appeared at the hearing on this occasion,
opting to “abstain from comment”. A month later, the company filed to the courts for an annulment of proceedings and withdrawal of the penalty held against them, on the grounds that it had not received notification of the offence in Ireland, which they considered to be only place where it could be legally accepted. Employees at the Ryanair
enquiry desk operating within Valencia Airport had also refused to accept the court summons, presumably under orders from their superiors. According to the Consumers Union, current legislation states that such legal routes of communication can be exercised in the place where the company or individual normally carry out their professional activity. It also states that such commu-
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