The juvenile court of L’Aquila has issued a provision that has sparked strong reactions: the mother of the three children of the so-called “woodland family”, Catherine Trevallion, will have to leave the protected structure in which until now she had been able to stay close to her children. Not only that: the three little ones will also be separated from each other. The decision was made known by the couple’s lawyer, Marco Femminella, who did not hide his irritation, underlining in a critical tone how the court chose to intervene right in the middle of the psychological consultation.
The family’s expert team reacted with alarm. The psychologist Marina Aiello spoke openly about a frightening choice, highlighting how the situation is taking on increasingly serious and difficult to justify contours.
The position of the Ombudsman for Children
The Ombudsman for Children Marina Terragni raises the alarm about the imminent transfer of the three Trevallion children to a new facility, without their mother Catherine. He recalled that an assessment by the Lanciano Vasto Chieti ASL had already noted the distress of minors, indicating that it was essential to guarantee the continuity of family ties. Separating children from their mother now, after they are already far from their father, would represent a further trauma. Terragni therefore requests the suspension of the provision and a new independent medical assessment, in compliance with the principle of the best interests of the minor.
On the assessment front, the psychological tests on the three minors officially begin today, conducted by the technical consultant appointed by the judges. The examination will conclude within two days and the final report must be filed within sixty days. Some logistical questions still remain open: it is not clear whether the sessions will be held in the protected facility or elsewhere.
In the background, the owner of the farmhouse who had made the property available free of charge to the family declared that he was willing to extend the loan for only another year, declining the offer of a foundation in Northern Italy which had proposed to cover the costs until the children reached adulthood. On the urban planning front, no renovation project has yet been presented to the Municipality, and rumors are circulating about a possible move of the family to a larger house, still in the same wooded area.
