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Children's Assessments Set to Start in Italian 'Family in the Woods' Case

Social services have proposed relocating the children following reports of tensions at the Vasto facility.

Overview

  • The juvenile court in L'Aquila suspended the parents' authority on November 20, 2025, and the three children remain in a Vasto care home with limited contact, allowing the mother visits at mealtimes and the father three times a week.
  • Psychological evaluations of the children are scheduled for March 6–7 under court appointee Simona Ceccoli, after which the expert has 60 days to submit a report.
  • An ASL psychiatric team has recommended restoring family continuity to reduce psychological harm, contrasting with a February 25 social-services report that flagged the mother's behavior and urged an alternative placement.
  • Officials are weighing a transfer after the Vasto facility reported the current arrangement as unsustainable, with options under consideration within Abruzzo.
  • The parents have appealed to the Australian government for help with repatriation, and a foundation with an anonymous benefactor has pledged to cover the family's rent for at least a year, potentially until the children reach adulthood.