Andrea Innocenti During the night between October 22nd and 23rd, the Carabinieri responded to a social housing building located on Via Baluardo in Tortona, in the province of Alessandria. Inside a room, they discovered the lifeless body of a little girl just over three years old. The emergency services, who arrived on the scene, could only confirm her death.
Only the mother was present in the house, and she was immediately questioned by the magistrate on duty and subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder . The news quickly shocked the community, drawing attention to a complex family dynamic and social protection mechanisms.
The discovery of the little girl on the October night in Tortona
According to police reports, the emergency call was made around 1:30 a.m., but preliminary investigations suggest the death may have occurred several hours earlier. A stab wound, presumably inflicted with a kitchen knife, was found at the scene, but the exact circumstances of the attack are still being investigated by the provincial forensic investigative unit.
The scene was devoid of any obvious signs of struggle or other people present, placing the entire responsibility squarely on the sole adult present.
Details of the intervention by the police
The Carabinieri of the Tortona Company, supported by the Forensic Unit, immediately cordoned off the area, collected evidence, and began the initial preliminary investigations . The 118 emergency medical service, although present, did not intervene to provide medical treatment, but provided the initial death certificates. After the police interview, the mother was detained and taken to the investigating judge in Alessandria to validate the arrest. The case was then handed over to the Prosecutor's Office, which requested strict confidentiality regarding all unclear details.
The profile of the arrested mother and her family context
The woman, in her thirties and a Ukrainian national , was living in the shelter with her daughter after a contentious separation from her Italian partner. Previously, the mother had filed a complaint alleging abuse by her boyfriend, an incident that occurred in the presence of the child when she was about one year old. Following the complaint, the Social Services Department intervened, providing financial support and securing accommodation in the home managed by the Agape cooperative, classified as a "safe house." The mother had obtained sole custody of her daughter, but recent court orders called for a gradual reconciliation with her father, a decision that, according to reports, deeply distressed her.
Fear of reconciliation with the father
The latest court order, issued shortly before the events, called for supervised meetings between the girl and her father, an Italian man with a history of violence against his mother but not his daughter. The prospect of a new relationship with her ex-partner could have triggered a psychological breakdown in the mother, already plagued by isolation and financial hardship. Although the security services had not detected any signs of imminent danger, the emotional strain associated with the process of reconciliation was identified by investigative sources as a possible trigger.
Investigation, role of social services and lack of warning signs
The case is being overseen by the Alessandria Public Prosecutor's Office, which has ordered the ongoing investigation to remain strictly confidential. The Forensic Investigations Unit is conducting post-mortem examinations to determine the exact time of death and the circumstances surrounding the attack. At the same time, the CISA intermunicipal consortium , which manages social services for the area, has confirmed that it did not receive any warnings of danger in the days preceding the incident, despite the family being supported due to housing and financial hardship . The incident raises questions about the ability of such systems to identify early warnings in vulnerable situations.
The contribution of the CISA consortium
CISA, responsible for social assistance in the Tortona area, stated that it provided financial and housing support to the mother and daughter, in line with emergency social intervention procedures . However, the lack of prior notification has fueled debate about potential gaps in the supervision of minors in situations of family tension . Authorities are evaluating whether guidelines should be revised to activate more timely protection mechanisms, especially in cases where there are reports of domestic violence involving parents.