The juvenile court in L'Aquila, central Italy, ruled on 20/11 that the alternative lifestyle of Nathan Trevallion and Catherine Birmingham endangered the health of their three children. Consequently, the court ordered the 8-year-old girl and two 6-year-old twin boys into protective care.
Catherine Birmingham was permitted to accompany her children to their new residence after their lawyers convinced social workers that her presence was necessary to limit trauma to the children during separation from their parents.
"It was the most miserable night of my life. Having your children taken from you is the greatest pain. It's unjust", Trevallion said on 21/11.
Following the court's ruling, police patrol cars transported the children from their home in Abruzzo to a church-run care facility. Family lawyer Giovanni Angelucci stated that the parents have limited contact with their children. According to the lawyer, the family plans to appeal this week.
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Nathan Trevallion and Catherine Birmingham with their children at their home in the Abruzzo mountains, Italy. Photo: Catherine Birmingham
Trevallion, 51, a former British professional chef, and Birmingham, 45, a former Australian riding instructor, purchased the farm in the Abruzzo mountains, Italy, in 2021. They raised their three children without public electricity, water, or gas.
Instead, the family of 5 utilized solar energy, well water, and homegrown food. The children were homeschooled and had little opportunity to socialize with other children.
The court's ruling stated that the Trevallion family was in a difficult situation because their home lacked a toilet, they had no social interaction, no stable income, and the children were not attending school.
The family's circumstances first caught police attention last year when they were all hospitalized after eating poisonous mushrooms. "From then on, everything became a nightmare", Trevallion recounted.
The incident ignited a heated debate in Italy about alternative lifestyles, and by 23/11, tens of thousands of people had signed an online petition calling for the children to be reunited with their parents.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the children's removal "alarming" and contacted Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio regarding the matter. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also criticized the court's decision.
"It's shameful when the state interferes with private education and personal life choices, depriving children of families who consider Italy a welcoming country", Salvini said, adding that he would visit the Trevallion family this week.
Giuseppe Masciulli, mayor of Palmoli in Abruzzo, also condemned the ruling. "I am also a father, so I am deeply shocked", he said, expressing confidence that the situation could be resolved if the family committed to certain requirements, such as installing running water and meeting with local schools weekly to assess the children's academic progress.
Huyen Le (Reuters, CNN)
