Baby kidnapped by dad returned to mum in Italy
A baby who was kidnapped by his father just weeks after birth and traced to Spain, was safely returned to Italy with his mother on Sunday.
The child's mother on Sunday arrived with her newborn son at Caselle airport in Turin, northern Italy, after flying to Spain to collect him, La Repubblica reported.
The 38-year-old father, Enzo Costanza, fled with the two-week-old baby last Tuesday after dropping off his wife at a toyshop near their home in Orbassano, saying that he would remain in the car with the child.
When the mother returned to the car park after purchasing a toy for her son, Costanza had driven away and would not answer his mobile telephone.
She raised the alarm and police used a geotracking in Costanza’s iphone to discover that he had driven over the border into France.
Costanza was later traced to Spain and on Friday was detained by Spanish police near the city of Albacete and his 16-day-old son taken into care after a three-day man hunt.
The mother immediately travelled to Spain to collect her son before the pair flew back to Turin.
Spain's National Police described father and son as being in a "good state" of health.
The alert had been raised amid fears that he might be suffering from mental health problems.
Costanza’s wife told the police that he was under the care of a psychiatrist and suffered from “paranoia” but on Tuesday morning after a visit to the doctor had decided to cease taking the medicine prescribed, according to a report in Europa Press.
"My husband has never attempted suicide nor mentioned that he intended to," she said, according to Europa Press. "He has never been violent and always been loving and protective towards our child," she reportedly said.
On Sunday the mother told reporters at the Turin airport that she wanted to return to her normal life.
“I’m tired, I just want to go home and start to live again,” the mother told waiting journalists at the Turin airport on Sunday.
“We are happy that it has turned out well. I thank all those who worked to find my husband and little one.”
Costanza was due to arrive later that evening. In the coming days he will face police questioning and charges of child abduction.
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The child's mother on Sunday arrived with her newborn son at Caselle airport in Turin, northern Italy, after flying to Spain to collect him, La Repubblica reported.
The 38-year-old father, Enzo Costanza, fled with the two-week-old baby last Tuesday after dropping off his wife at a toyshop near their home in Orbassano, saying that he would remain in the car with the child.
When the mother returned to the car park after purchasing a toy for her son, Costanza had driven away and would not answer his mobile telephone.
She raised the alarm and police used a geotracking in Costanza’s iphone to discover that he had driven over the border into France.
Costanza was later traced to Spain and on Friday was detained by Spanish police near the city of Albacete and his 16-day-old son taken into care after a three-day man hunt.
The mother immediately travelled to Spain to collect her son before the pair flew back to Turin.
Spain's National Police described father and son as being in a "good state" of health.
The alert had been raised amid fears that he might be suffering from mental health problems.
Costanza’s wife told the police that he was under the care of a psychiatrist and suffered from “paranoia” but on Tuesday morning after a visit to the doctor had decided to cease taking the medicine prescribed, according to a report in Europa Press.
"My husband has never attempted suicide nor mentioned that he intended to," she said, according to Europa Press. "He has never been violent and always been loving and protective towards our child," she reportedly said.
On Sunday the mother told reporters at the Turin airport that she wanted to return to her normal life.
“I’m tired, I just want to go home and start to live again,” the mother told waiting journalists at the Turin airport on Sunday.
“We are happy that it has turned out well. I thank all those who worked to find my husband and little one.”
Costanza was due to arrive later that evening. In the coming days he will face police questioning and charges of child abduction.
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