A significant search operation is currently in progress in Spain following the disappearance of a three-year-old British boy. Oliver Pugh was last sighted on July 4 in Marbella, a popular resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol. However, his father only reported him missing over a month later on August 7. Authorities have disclosed information on the suspected abductor, identifying the case as a “parental abduction” and implicating the boy’s mother, a Russian national, as the perpetrator. It was confirmed that both Oliver and his father hold British citizenship, while the mother is of Russian origin.
Officials stated, “We are treating this as a parental abduction, believing that the mother has departed Spain with the child for Russia.” Though the police have not revealed further details about the mother or Oliver’s father, a reliable source shed light on their relationship circumstances. The source explained, “The parents are separated, and a court order prohibited the mother from taking the child out of Spain. They reside in Costa del Sol.”
Authorities have issued an official plea providing a description of Oliver in the hopes of locating him. He is described as a child with blonde hair, grey eyes, approximately 85cm in height, and weighing 15kg. Images of the boy have been shared by the police since the abduction.
While the family was based in Costa del Sol, the custody arrangement regarding the child remains unconfirmed. The situation is further complicated if Oliver has indeed been taken to Russia due to the strained political relations between Westminster and Moscow. The lack of extradition treaties could potentially impede efforts by British and Spanish authorities to secure the child’s return.
Cases of “parental abduction” are frequently reported, with many being swiftly resolved, but complexities arise when the abductor crosses international borders with the child. According to UK charity Action Against Abduction, a significant number of abducted children who cross borders are aged between zero and six, with a near equal distribution between boys and girls.
