A shocking incident unfolded in Spain as a French couple was apprehended for their plans to sacrifice their five-year-old son, whom they believed to be possessed, in the Sahara desert. Spanish authorities reported this horrifying event on Saturday.

The arrest took place on December 21 in the southern Spanish port of Algeciras, just as the family was preparing to board a ferry bound for Tangiers, Morocco, according to AFP.

The Guardia Civil police force released a statement stating that they had detained a “couple of French origin” who had intended to murder their five-year-old son in the Sahara, driven by their belief in his possession.

Both parents had a history of “psychiatric problems” and were already wanted by European authorities for the abduction of a minor, the police added.

The couple has been remanded in custody by a Spanish judge, while their child, who is in good health, has been placed in a minors’ reception center until he can be returned to France.

This disturbing case brings back memories of a dark period over a decade ago when similar instances of children being trafficked for sacrificial purposes in foreign countries were alarmingly prevalent, particularly in 2012 and the years preceding it.

In a 2012 leaked study conducted by Scotland Yard, as reported by The Standard, it was revealed that African boys were being transported to London churches to be sacrificed in ritualistic acts by fundamentalist Christian sects.

These sects believed that potent spells required the sacrifice of “unblemished” male children, who were often trafficked from cities like Kinshasa for as little as £10.

The study also documented cases of African children being subjected to torture and murder after being falsely accused of being “witches” by church pastors.

Commissioned following the tragic death of Victoria Climbié, who was starved and beaten to death due to claims of demonic possession, the Metropolitan Police study aimed to foster an “open dialogue” with the African and Asian communities in Newham and Hackney.

During discussions with African community leaders, officers were made aware of numerous instances where children were murdered because their parents or guardians believed them to be under the influence of evil spirits.