A 46-year-ancient woman from Modica, Sicily, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison, along with a five-year ban from public office, on Wednesday, March 13, 2026, for abandoning her infant son, Vittorio Fortunato. The sentence was delivered by Judge Giovanni La Terra of the Ragusa Tribunal following a nearly four-hour deliberation.
The prosecution, led by Marco Rota, had requested a three-year sentence. The civil party also supported the conviction, while the defense argued for acquittal, claiming a lack of objective elements constituting the crime or the necessary psychological intent. Judge La Terra had previously rejected several defense motions, including a request for a psychiatric evaluation to assess the woman’s mental state at the time of the alleged abandonment and a request to re-examine two witnesses.
The case centers on the circumstances surrounding the birth of Vittorio Fortunato. The mother had asked her partner in Ragusa to take her to the hospital, but he allegedly stated he would handle the hospital admission himself. The father, a 50-year-old businessman, previously received a two-year sentence for simulating the abandonment and subsequent discovery of the infant outside his shop in Ragusa on November 4, 2020. He died of natural causes on June 3, 2024, before his appeal could be heard, reportedly confident of an acquittal.
Vittorio Fortunato, now five years old, has been in the care of a foster family outside the province since he was 20 days old. The court has repeatedly ruled on the child’s adoptability, with a recent decision by the Catania Tribunal for Minors reaffirming his availability for adoption. This decision followed an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal in Catania that had overturned a previous order for adoption.
In court, Claudia Parrino, the lawyer representing the child’s interests, was present alongside Emilio Cintolo. The mother was defended by Angelo Iemmolo. The defendant has filed an appeal against the Catania Tribunal for Minors’ decision regarding the child’s adoptability, which is scheduled to be discussed on March 18, 2026.
The court also ordered the mother to provide financial compensation to the child, with the specific amount to be determined by a civil court.
