Dad of cancer boy Ashya relives arrest nightmare

The parents of Ashya King have described the moment they were arrested in Spain after they became the targets of an international manhunt.

BrettandNaghmehKing were held in Spain after they removed their fivey e a r - o l d son from Southampton General Hospital on August 28 without medical consent.

Mr King said two police officers arrived at their hotel in Malaga. “They said: ‘Hi, how’s everything?’ I said: ‘Fine, no problem.’ I had no idea what lay in store.” The couple were separated from their sick son for several nights before they were released.

They then took their son to Prague to receive proton beam therapy they were keen for him to receive.

Mr King said his wife cried “Ashya, where is my Ashya?” repeatedly on the first night they spent in prison in Spain.

She said: “I wasn’t crying for myself in prison, I was crying for Ashya. I didn’t want him to be alone in a foreign country not understanding the language.”

Mr King also claimed that while they were behind bars, their eldest son Danny told them he was being stopped from seeing his brother. A police chief allegedly toldMr King: “He needs protection from you all.”

Once it was discovered the Kings had fled with Ashya, an international arrest warrant was issued and the parents faced a protracted legal battle to get him to the Proton Therapy Centre (PTC), with a High Court judge only approving themoveafter they had been released from police custody in Spain.

The PTC has said proton therapy is more effective than radiotherapy as it limits the collateral damage of radiation to other vital organs, such as the heart and liver in Ashya’s case. This would lead to less severe long-term side-effects including heart and breathing problems.

The NHS has since agreed to fund Ashya’s treatment.

Ashya King: treatment