Newborn baby boy found dead inside box left for abandoned babies at Italian church: reports
A newborn baby boy, believed to be around a month old, was discovered dead inside a cradle used for abandoned infants in Puglia, Italy, according to media reports. Authorities say they are investigating.
The baby was found at a local church by a funeral home director who happened to pass by the box used for safely surrendering newborns, Italian news agency Ansa reported.
As the local funeral home director walked past, he noticed the door leading to the cradle, meant to keep an infant warm until caretakers arrive, was left ajar and discovered the lifeless child upon looking inside. He promptly alerted local authorities.
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The alarm system designed to alert the parish priest when a baby is placed in the cradle did not activate, and officials are working to determine the reason.
Police haven't yet confirmed if the system’s heating mechanism malfunctioned or if the baby had died before being placed inside.
Bari police told CNN that an autopsy will be carried out to establish the exact cause and time of death.
“My cell phone, which is connected to the cradle, did not ring,” a local priest, Father Antonio Ruccia, said, according to People magazine. “Maybe he could have been saved, but we must forgive.”
He added, “No one can imagine the pain behind realizing that you cannot take care of your little one.”
Police reportedly said they were examining whether the person who left the baby did so without fully shutting the door, thereby preventing the alarm from going off. The box is located on an exterior wall to provide privacy to anyone placing a baby inside.
The church’s baby box was reportedly used successfully at least twice before, on July 19, 2020, and Dec. 23, 2023. In both instances, healthy babies were discovered in the cradle and later taken into care.
The device was installed following a tragic 2015 discovery of a deceased newborn on a nearby beach.
The concept of baby boxes in Italy dates back centuries, but the modern version was introduced in 2006.
The tradition is rooted in a practice dating to the 13th century, when infants were left in a “ruota,” or wheel, placed in the wall of a church or children’s home so the mother could remain anonymous. That system remained in use until about the 1950s, when the children’s homes in Italy were closed, according to CNN.
