Dutch children found living in severe neglect in Italy, removed from parents by court
Two Dutch children, ages 9 and 6, have been discovered in severe neglect at an isolated farmhouse in the northern Italian village of Lauriano, RTL reported. The juvenile court in Turin ruled that the parents are unfit to care for them and ordered the children to be taken into protective custody.
Local officials determined that the living conditions were extremely unhygienic. The children were not registered with the civil registry, could not speak, read, or write, and were still wearing diapers despite their ages.
Italian media reported that the children were located by officers of the carabinieri, Italy’s military police. Authorities had gone to the farmhouse to deliver an evacuation order due to flooding in the area.
The father, a 54-year-old Dutch national, has reportedly been residing in Italy for three years. No records existed with local authorities regarding the 38-year-old mother or the two children.
The court’s decision means the children will remain in care while Italian social services investigate the case further.
