Sara Guglielmetti Family in the Woods : The L'Aquila Court of Appeal has rejected the Birmingham-Trevallion family's appeal. The three children will therefore remain in the foster home. Full details.
Family in the woods, appeal rejected: children remain in foster home
Nathan and Catherine's three children, the so-called family in the woods , will remain in the foster home.
The Court of Appeal of L'Aquila has rejected the Birmingham-Trevallion family's appeal , upholding the Juvenile Court's decision. The three children, who have been placed in a protected facility since November 2025, will therefore have to continue living in the Vasto foster home , at least until further notice. As previously noted, the judges confirmed the validity of the court-appointed expert report, thus reinforcing the order of the Juvenile Court of L'Aquila, which had ordered the children to remain in the facility and begin a gradual process of reunification with their parents.
But here is the note from lawyer Pillon, who also announced a new legal initiative.
Family in the woods, appeal rejected. Pillon: "It was foreseeable."
As we have seen, the Birmingham-Trevallion family's appeal was rejected, and the three children will remain, at least for now, in the Vasto foster home.
Attorney Simone Pillon announced the decision in a statement : " As was unfortunately predictable given previous rulings, the Court of Appeal of L'Aquila has decided to reject the Birmingham Trevallion family's appeal. The Abruzzo Court has thus decided to uphold the validity of the expert witness's ruling and to validate the Juvenile Court's order, including the part in which it ignored the allegations regarding the risks to the children's health resulting from their placement in a foster home. The defense's observations regarding parents' right to free choice regarding schooling were also disregarded, and the guidance of the Supreme Court regarding the residual nature of out-of-home placement and the need for its duration to be clearly stated were not considered. The defense will appeal these and other aspects of the decision to the Supreme Court in the coming days." The statement continues: "The Abruzzo Court has, however, confirmed the gradual return plan already in place and which is proceeding, also because the children are very happy to be able to spend time with mom and dad on weekends and during weekdays, even as they anxiously await their final return."