Two Dutch children, believed to be around six and nine years old, have been found in poor conditions on a dilapidated farm in Northern Italy. They were still wearing diapers, could not speak, read, or write, and had no official documents.
The children, Rayan and Noha, were found by the military police in the village of Lauriano in the Turin region. Agents came across them during an evacuation order after flooding and discovered a severely neglected family situation.
According to Italian media, the children were not registered with the civil registry. They also had no birth certificate or identity card and had never been to school or a doctor. The children were not registered with any agency.
The Juvenile Court in Turin has now ruled that the parents, a 54-year-old Dutch man and a 38-year-old Dutch woman, are unable to care for them. The children have been placed in Italian youth care.
Father speaks of ‘alternative education’
The father denies to the Italian newspaper La Stampa that there is neglect. He speaks of an “alternative education” and says that the children only came to Italy two weeks ago. They would be following online education.
But municipal data shows that the man has been living in the village for three years. The Italian authorities therefore assume that the children have been staying with him for some time despite his claims.
It is still unclear where in the Netherlands the family comes from and whether the children have previously lived in the Netherlands or Germany. The authorities are conducting further investigation.