Two Italian teenagers who vanished from a child protection facility in the mountainous Abruzzo region have been found alive in Formia, near the coast south of Rome. The discovery ends a two-week search that exposed a bitter custody battle and has triggered criminal charges against three family members, including the girls' mother.
Alisya, 16, and Sarah, 12, disappeared from the supervised community home in Civitella Alfedena, a small town in L'Aquila province, during the night of June 6-7. Italian police tracked the girls to an apartment in Formia, a coastal city in Latina province, on June 21. According to law enforcement, the sisters spent approximately 14 days confined to a single room in the home of Maria Sofia De Russo, an 80-year-old woman described as a distant maternal relative. The girls were not permitted to leave the room or open the shutters.
Three individuals have been arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping: Valentina D'Acunto (the mother), her partner Vincenzo Esposito, and her father Marco D'Acunto. De Russo, the elderly host, remains under investigation but has not been arrested.
Background of the Custody Dispute
The sisters had been living in state care for approximately seven years following the suspension of both parents' custodial rights amid a contentious post-divorce conflict. On May 28, 2026, the Civil Tribunal of Cassino issued a pivotal ruling: it revoked parental authority exclusively from the mother, citing her "persistent opposition" to contact between the girls and their father, along with "manipulative and conditioning attitudes" toward the minors. The decision restored rights to Stefano Di Giacinto, the father.
Court experts had noted conflict in both parents, but the May ruling singled out Valentina D'Acunto for blocking reunification efforts. Judges found that she had failed to understand the serious suffering her conduct inflicted on her daughters by depriving them of their father.
According to investigators, this court decision preceded the girls' disappearance by less than two weeks.
Discovery and Investigation
The breakthrough came through phone record analysis and wiretaps, including interception of a video call between the mother and her daughters. The facility in Civitella Alfedena is located roughly 250 kilometers from Formia.
What Happens Next
The girls are currently housed in a protected family facility under the guardianship of Gerardo Stefanelli, the mayor of Minturno, who serves as their court-appointed legal guardian. Stefanelli told Italian media that the primary objective is facilitating a relationship with their father while the girls receive psychological support.
Letters reportedly written by the sisters before their disappearance indicated they did not wish to return to live with their father, adding complexity to the reunification process. Child psychologists and social workers are expected to play central roles in the coming weeks.
Under Italian law, sequestro di persona aggravato (aggravated kidnapping—unlawful confinement of a person) carries substantial prison terms, particularly when minors are involved and the crime is committed by relatives. The prosecutor's office in Cassino is leading the investigation.
Maria Sofia De Russo, the elderly host, told investigators she believed she was "doing good" and that the grandfather and the mother's partner "only asked me to keep them." Her precise legal exposure remains unclear, but harboring minors against a court order may expose her to complicity charges.
Speaking Publicly After the Recovery
Stefano Di Giacinto, the father, described the experience as "the end of a nightmare" but cautioned that full closure remains uncertain. He said he has seen his daughters only from a distance since their rescue and stressed the need to give them time to recover psychologically.
He described the period the girls spent hidden in Formia as "real torture" and expressed complex emotions: "I am excited, full of anger but also happiness."
Di Giacinto noted that De Russo is "not an aunt, but a person they do not know." He also disputed claims made by the mother regarding events surrounding the disappearance, though he declined to elaborate, saying: "I could not accuse anyone and I will continue not to, since the institutions will take care of it."
Italy's Family Court System
Italy's family court system, like those across Europe, struggles with high-conflict custody disputes. This case highlights the risks when parental authority is contested and one party refuses to accept judicial outcomes. Facilities like the one in Civitella Alfedena—known in Italian as case famiglia (family homes)—are designed to provide neutral ground for children caught in family disputes, but physical security remains a challenge in smaller, rural communities.
Italian authorities will now assess whether the reunification plan outlined in the May ruling remains viable or requires modification. The outcome of the criminal proceedings against the mother, her partner, and grandfather will also influence custody arrangements and the psychological recovery the girls must navigate.
