AS Europe convulses under the worst economic crisis in living memory, Spain has a new child abuse horror story unfolding.

The nauseating saga begins during Spain's General Franco era. This ghastly despot, like Hitler who helped him gain power, was raised a staunch Catholic and ensured privileges were showered on church members during his rule.

Since then, and well into the Nineties a conspiracy of doctors, nuns and priests stole up to 300,000 newborn babies from their mothers and put them into other families.

What started as a social engineering exercise developed into a commercial operation.

A few days ago, the BBC covered the story.

The most horrific scene was of a doctor who, confronted with his role in the affair, grabbed a large brass cross and thrusting it forward, began to read from the Bible.

Now that's scary. Let us all hope that nothing like this has happened here.

Rob Meggs, Hartlepool.