Boy who survived cable car crash in Italy was kidnapped by his grandfather

The child who survived the accident last May, when a cable car cabin fell into the void in northern Italy and 14 people died, has been kidnapped by his grandfather, who transferred him on a private plane to Israel, where his maternal family live, local media reveal today.

The Pavia (north) public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation after the complaint of the kidnapping this Saturday of little Eitan, as he is called in Italy, where he has become a symbol of hope after the tragedy suffered by his family and the rest of the population. occupants of the hut that fell into the void between the alpine mountain of Mottarone and the town of Stresa on May 23.

Seriously injured, Eitan spent several weeks in a Turin hospital.

The boy, who had lost his parents and brother in the crash and was in the care of his paternal aunt, has been at the center of a custody battle for months, after the maternal family demanded him to Israel.

Eitan was handed over to his paternal aunt by the Turin Juvenile Court, while his maternal family were allowed to visit him. The Italian justice also ordered the latter to return a passport of the child in his possession.

It was the child’s aunt who reported this Saturday to the police that his maternal grandfather, who had moved to Italy after the tragedy, had not delivered the child to his home on time scheduled after a visit authorized by the judge, according to “il Corriere della sera”.

The first investigations of the police of Pavia concluded that the grandfather and the minor had boarded a private flight in which the child could board because he had his passport, which allowed expatriation, adds the newspaper, which explains that the confirmation of the disembarkation of the plane in Israel “arrived through diplomatic channels”.

In an interview this Sunday on Israeli Radio 103, her maternal aunt, Gali Peleg, justified her return to Israel. “We didn’t kidnap him… we brought him home. We had to do this because we had no information on Eitan’s physical and mental health. “he explained.

“We took him home, as his parents wanted, which is to go home, but they had to go back because of the coronavirus, however, when they were here months ago, we spoke with them about the return, ”he said. .

“The news shocks everyone and worries us a lot. He was torn from the family he grew up with, the doctors who treat him, in a traumatic way that can destabilize him, ”said lawyer Armando Simbari.

The president of the Jewish community of Milan (north), Milo Hasbani, condemned “this act that violates Italian and international laws”. “We hope that the case will be resolved as soon as possible in accordance with the sentence of the juvenile court,” he added in a statement from lawyers for the Italian family.

Italy had been waiting for weeks for the development of little Eitan, who after the accident was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin (north) due to injuries before being transferred to the service and begin a psychological program after the tragedy. who suffered.

On June 10, he was then released and went to live with his aunt, after being informed of the death of his parents.

Italian justice is investigating twelve people and two companies for the accident, accused of multiple intentional homicides, negligent disaster and removal of tools to prevent accidents at work, after the operator of the cable car has admitted to having deactivated the braking system, to avoid closing the installation, which caused the fall.

(with information from EFE and AFP)

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