Carabinieri from L'Aquila and Latina commands have located two sisters—aged 16 and 12—15 days after they vanished from a group home in Civitella Alfedena, Abruzzo. Within hours of the recovery, prosecutors arrested the mother, her partner, and the maternal grandfather on charges of aggravated kidnapping in concert.
The Recovery Operation
Late on 21 June, investigators traced Alisya and Sarah to a public-housing flat in the Rio Fresco–Scacciagalline quarter of Formia, Latina province, according to sources a residence owned by a maternal uncle. The address sits fewer than 500 meters from the girls' mother's own residence. Prosecutor Luciano D'Angelo of Sulmona coordinated with the Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale and Latina-command officers; the sweep followed authorization from Cassino prosecutor Carlo Fucci.
Both minors were medically examined on site and declared in good physical condition. Authorities transferred them immediately to a secure facility in the Cassino judicial district. The father, Stefano Di Giacinto, confirmed the recovery on social media, describing the resolution as the end of "ten years of battles" and emphasizing the need to allow his daughters time to recover.
The Arrests and Legal Framework
At dawn on 22 June—less than twelve hours after the recovery—Carabinieri executed arrest warrants for Valentina D'Acunto, her partner Vincenzo Esposito, and her father Marco D'Acunto. Italian penal code treats sequestro di persona (Article 605) as unlawful detention or deprivation of liberty; the aggravated variant applies when victims are minors, when multiple perpetrators collude, or when detention exceeds a threshold duration. Prosecutors contend the trio orchestrated the removal from the group home and concealed the girls' whereabouts for a fortnight, meeting all three aggravating criteria.
Investigators reported recovering notes in the sisters' dormitory room at Civitella Alfedena. The Sulmona prosecutor's office has scheduled a press briefing to disclose operational details.
What This Means for Residents
For families navigating custody disputes in Italy, the arrests underscore that removing a child from court-ordered placement—even by a biological parent—triggers criminal liability if done without judicial consent. Parental authority can be suspended or revoked by a juvenile court (Tribunale per i Minorenni) when judges conclude a child's welfare is at risk; any attempt to reclaim custody outside that process exposes the parent to sequestro charges and potential multi-year sentences.
The case also highlights oversight practices in residential care. The father's initial complaint alleged that staff at the facility took time to report the disappearance and that the home lacked perimeter alarms and closed-circuit cameras—equipment commonly required in secure youth placements. The Sulmona prosecutor opened a parallel file for alleged child abandonment against the facility management; if negligence is proven, operators face administrative sanctions or license suspension.
For families contesting or appealing placement orders, several resources are available:
• Legal aid: Organizations specializing in family law, including the Ordine degli Avvocati (bar associations) in each province, maintain lists of attorneys qualified in minors' rights cases. Many offer reduced-fee consultations for families with limited means.
• Understanding placement types: A casa famiglia (group home) is a residential facility housing multiple minors; affidamento (foster placement) places a child with a vetted individual or couple. Courts typically prefer foster arrangements but may use group homes when foster resources are unavailable.
• Appeal procedures: Decisions by the Tribunale per i Minorenni can be appealed to the Corte d'Appello (Appeals Court); parents retain the right to petition for review if circumstances change, such as completion of treatment programs or improved housing.
Systemic Context
The case occurs against a backdrop of acknowledged resource pressures in Italy's residential child-care network. Both Lazio and Abruzzo have faced budget constraints affecting staffing levels and facility maintenance. Child-welfare advocacy organizations have called for increased funding and clearer security standards in group homes, though the specific vulnerabilities in this case remain under investigation.
Italian protocol for child victims of serious crimes—codified in Legislative Decree 212/2015 and aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child—requires continuous psychological support throughout investigation and trial. A single specialist remains assigned across all phases to avoid re-traumatization.
Because the sisters spent years in the residential system following their parents' separation and the mother's loss of legal custody, therapeutic continuity is critical. Any future transfer will require a fresh juvenile-court evaluation of household stability and the girls' expressed preferences, weighted according to their ages.
Next Steps
Prosecutors have scheduled a briefing to outline the evidentiary basis for the arrests. The parallel inquiry into the Civitella Alfedena home's management will determine whether procedural failures constitute criminal negligence or administrative lapses. If criminal charges proceed, the case could inform guidance on security standards for residential operators.
For Italy's child-protection apparatus, the episode underscores the importance of adequate resourcing and oversight. Until funding models and security protocols are strengthened, residential placements will remain under strain to balance judicial mandates with operational realities.
