A 29-year-old British woman wanted in the UK for alleged child cruelty offences has reportedly settled in Tenerife after fleeing the UK, according to British media reports.
Raychel Hardingham suffered serious injuries after falling from a moving vehicle in Norfolk in April 2023. A baby also fell from the car but sustained only minor injuries. Hardingham was subsequently charged with assault, child abuse, neglect, and abandonment with the intent to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.
After failing to appear before Norwich Magistrates' Court in September, a warrant was issued for her arrest, but reports from the UK now suggest that she has been living in the south of Tenerife.
She Claims Safety Concerns Prevent Her Return
Speaking to the UK press, Hardingham confirmed that she is in Playa de Las Américas and has no immediate plans to return to the United Kingdom.
“What has happened to me is very complex,” she stated. “I had to leave my home in England because I fear for my safety. I have received threats.”
The fugitive insisted that her relocation to Tenerife was not intentional but a necessity for her own protection. “I didn’t want to come here, but until I can take measures to safeguard myself in England, I will have to stay,” she added.
Authorities have not yet confirmed any extradition proceedings or further legal action concerning her current whereabouts.
