An Italian priest is facing a manslaughter investigation following the tragic death of a newborn left in a “thermal cradle” designed for abandoned babies at the San Giovanni Battista church in Bari, southern Italy.
The infant, believed to be about a month old, was discovered in the cradle on January 2. The device, intended to provide a safe environment for abandoned babies, is equipped with a heating system and an alert mechanism that notifies the parish priest when a child is placed inside.
Father Antonio Ruccia, the parish priest, has been named a suspect despite being in Rome at the time of the incident. He stated that he did not receive any alert on his phone and that no attempt was made to retrieve the child.
Authorities are investigating whether the baby died before being placed in the cradle, whether the alert system malfunctioned, or if it was not repaired following a recent electrical outage. A local technician who recently worked on the cradle is also under investigation.
The baby’s body was discovered by funeral director Roberto Savarese, who was preparing for a service at the church that day.
The “baby box” concept, dating back to medieval times, is intended to offer parents in distress a safe and anonymous way to relinquish their newborns. A poster outside San Giovanni Battista encourages those in need to leave their babies in the parish’s care, featuring the message: “No baby is a mistake.”
An autopsy is being conducted, and police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify the person who abandoned the infant.
