Charity sorry for misleading donors with robbery story

A charity that sparked a mass public response after reporting that a Spanish couple had been robbed of their belongings has said it got the story wrong and has apologised for any confusion.

As more details emerged over the weekend about the plight of the couple, Penny Dinners has admitted its reports the heavily pregnant woman and her husband were victims of a robbery were not true. The charity also insists it is not the victim of a scam.

Penny Dinners, which made a public appeal after mistakenly claiming the couple had been robbed while staying at a hostel, has vowed to continue helping the couple.

Yesterday, the soup kitchen, founded before the Famine, clarified the couple’s circumstances, which triggered an overwhelming response from the public. “They never asked us for anything, and still haven’t. Both ourselves and St Vincent de Paul will continue to help them and others, as we have always done,” said a spokesperson

Penny Dinners issued an appeal on Thursday night for help for a young Spanish couple, who they believed had lost everything in a robbery while staying at a city hostel, after the mother, who they believed was 37 weeks pregnant, apparently went in to labour while eating lunch in the soup kitchen.

Charity volunteers rushed the couple to Cork University Maternity Hospital and tried to establish how they came to be in such dire straits, before issuing the appeal. Their first plight was highlighted by the Irish Examiner, then followed up by Cork radio stations RedFM and 96FM. There was an overwhelming response from the people of Cork on Friday. However, the Irish Examiner reported on Saturday that subsequent Garda enquiries could find no evidence of a robbery at a hostel.

The woman was released from CUMH after treatment, and after doctors established her pregnancy was not as advanced as previously thought.

The couple are unaware of media interest in their plight but Penny Dinners spokeswoman Catriona Twomey said they are grateful for the donations, and have been overwhelmed by the response.

Penny Dinners has arranged accommodation for the family for the next few days while consular assistance is provided by the Spanish embassy.