Italian priest investigated for manslaughter over death of newborn left on church doorstep

Father Antonio Ruccia stands in front of poster urging those in difficulty to leave their child in care of the parish at the San Giovanni Battista Church in the southern Italian city of Bari. Photo / Supplied

• Father Antonio Ruccia is being investigated for manslaughter after a newborn was found dead in a church’s thermal cradle.
• The cradle’s alarm system, meant to notify Ruccia, may have malfunctioned after a recent blackout.
• An autopsy is under way, and police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify who abandoned the baby.

An Italian priest is being investigated for manslaughter over the death of a newborn baby left outside the doors of his church.

Father Antonio Ruccia, a parish priest at the San Giovanni Battista Church in the southern Italian city of Bari, has been named as a suspect despite being absent from the church at the time.

The newborn, believed to be a month old, was found dead on January 2 inside the church’s “thermal cradle”, a device set up for unwanted babies to be left anonymously.

It is not yet clear whether the baby died before it arrived at the church, whether the cradle’s alarm system malfunctioned or if the technology had not been repaired after a recent electrical blackout.

The cradle’s alarm and heating system is normally activated as soon as the baby is left there and a notification is supposed to be sent to the priest’s phone.

‘Chance made a mockery of us’

Father Ruccia reportedly told the congregation during a mass on Saturday: “We have gone through a traumatic experience”, adding: “As a community we are called upon to engender life. Chance made a mockery of us.”

A poster outside the church entrance urges those in difficulty to leave their child in the care of the parish accompanied by a picture of a newborn with the caption: “No baby is a mistake”.

The Bari prosecutor’s office, which initially launched an investigation into child neglect, is investigating the priest and a local technician who carried out recent maintenance work on the heated crib.

Father Ruccia had been in Rome for Christmas festivities and initially told local media his mobile phone, which is normally connected to the activation of the cradle, did not ring.

He could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

During mass on Saturday, he reportedly urged his parishioners to maintain “utmost silence” about the incident, however.

According to Italian daily Corriere della Sera, he said: “I have not allowed myself to comment on anything, except to make a simple statement. I urge you to maintain the utmost silence.”

“All those who have spoken have spoken too much, without having clear information,” he added.

An autopsy was being conducted on Wednesday and police were checking CCTV camera footage in a bid to identify the parent or person who abandoned the child. If identified, he or she could also face charges.

Questions have been raised about claims made on the parish website that said the cradle alarm was directly connected to the neonatal department of the local Policlinico Hospital.

Antonio Sanguedolce, the hospital’s director, told Corriere della Sera that these claims were false. “There has never been an alarm connected with the department, only with the parish priest’s cell phone.”

The thermal cradle was installed at the church after a baby was found dead on a nearby beach in 2015.

Monsignor Giuseppe Satriano, the archbishop of Bari, said in a statement last week: “I hope this tragedy will inspire in us more attention and care for life when it is most defenceless, offering concrete support to those who live in the shadows.”