Payout for custody father

THE Junta de Andalucia has been sentenced to pay €60,000 compensation to a father who lost custody of twins, the Supreme Court has ruled, although he has since passed away.

Alejo Pozo, a master builder who died of cancer in 2010, had earlier claimed €1,375,600 after twins Ignacio and Azucena were removed from his care.

He never succeeded in regaining their custody or that of another daughter, Silvia.

The twins’ mother, who died shortly after giving birth, was a drug addict. When they were born, the twins showed symptoms of addiction, and opiates were found in their urine. 

The couple already had children in care and no family member was interested in looking after the babies, according to Sevilla Social Services at the time.

Neither was Pozo capable of educating and maintaining the twins or being a responsible guardian, psychologists decided.

The twins were removed with ‘unusual speed’, according to the sentence and Pozo was threatened with losing custody of another daughter, Alejandra, who was living with him. 

Nevertheless, Pozo’s original compensation claim was ‘absolutely excessive’, the Supreme Court decided.