Off-grid UK-Australian couple given more access to children who were removed from home in Italy
Decision marks a significant turning point in a case that sparked a national debate in Italy
TL;DR
- The juvenile court of L’Aquila approved a staged reunification process for a British-Australian couple and their three children.
- The children were removed from their off-grid woodland home in central Italy in November.
- The couple, Nathan Trevallion and Catherine Birmingham, will gradually increase time with their children, starting with daytime visits and progressing to overnight stays.
- Social services will monitor the process before any permanent reunification can occur.
- The family plans to appeal for a faster reunification.
- The court had suspended the couple's parental responsibility in November.
- Authorities became involved after the family was hospitalized for mushroom poisoning, and a court ruling cited lack of social interactions, income, and adequate sanitation.
- The children were homeschooled.