Catholic priest faces manslaughter probe over death of newborn abandoned outside his church

Thursday, January 09, 2025 - An Italian priest is being investigated for manslaughter over the death of a newborn who was found in a cradle meant for abandoned babies at a church in southern Italy.

The infant, believed to be around a month old, was reportedly found in a 'thermal cradle' at the church of San Giovanni Battista, in Bari, Italy, on January 2.

Parish priest, Father Antonio Ruccia, has been named as a suspect by Italian police despite being absent from the church at the time.

According to the Italian daily, Corriere della Sera, placing a baby in the church's thermal cradle activates the heating and an alert is immediately sent to the priest's phone.

But Father Ruccia, who was away in Rome, told local media he did not receive any notifications on his phone and no one tried to retrieve the child.

It is not clear whether the baby died before arriving at the church, whether the thermal cradle's alarm system malfunctioned, or if it had not been repaired after a recent electrical blackout.

An investigation has been launched into the priest and a local technician who carried out recent maintenance work on the heated crib.

The child's body was found by local funeral home director, Roberto Savarese, who was preparing for a funeral that day.

The concept of the baby boxes dates back to medieval times and it provides a safe and anonymous way for parents to give up their newborn babies.

A poster outside the entrance to San Giovanni Battista urges those in difficulty to leave their child in the care of the parish.

It is accompanied by a picture of a newborn with the caption: 'No baby is a mistake.'

An autopsy is being conducted and Italian police are checking CCTV footage in a bid to identify the parent or person who abandoned the child.