Gardaí investigate ‘Spanish’ expectant couple
It follows a Garda investigation yesterday into the couple’s claim that they had been robbed of their possessions while staying in a hostel in Cork earlier this week.
A senior garda spokesman confirmed last night that detectives spoke to the couple — who spoke Romanian to each other — late yesterday afternoon.
He said gardaí are now satisfied that no such crime or robbery, as alleged by the couple, occurred. He said there has been no complaint from the couple to gardaí about such an alleged crime, and that no complaint will be forthcoming.
“Our investigations are ongoing as we try to establish their identities and their legal status in this country,” said the spokesman.
There was an overwhelming response from the people of Cork yesterday after a call to help the couple was issued by the city’s oldest caring organisation, Penny Dinners, after the woman apparently went into labour.
The husband is an electrician, and the mother, a hairdresser, is about 37 weeks pregnant.
When the woman apparently went into labour in the Penny Dinners soup kitchen on Thursday, she was rushed to Cork University Maternity Hospital, where she was treated throughout yesterday before being sent home to rest, with doctors apparently satisfied that the pregnancy is not as advanced as first thought.
The people of Cork responded quickly and dropped off dozens of bags of baby clothes and equipment to help the family.
St Vincent de Paul was involved and hotels offered accommodation.
However, there are now concerns that the charity may have been duped.
Yesterday, the husband in the family said he was happy with the response of local people to his family’s plight.
“My wife is very happy,” he told Cork’s Red FM, “You have good people here. This is very much [an] example for any country.”
The man added that he is intent on finding a job so he can stay in Cork with his family.
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