PARMA, Italy, Might 24, 2025 — Chiara Petrolini, a 22-year-old former schooling sciences pupil from Vignale di Traversetolo, stands trial for the premeditated homicide of her two new child kids and the suppression and concealment of their corpses. The case, which has gripped Italy for the reason that discovery of the infants’ our bodies within the backyard of her household residence in August and September 2024, has left the small Parma neighborhood reeling. Petrolini, at the moment beneath home arrest, faces prices that would result in life imprisonment as prosecutors construct a case alleging deliberate planning and execution of the killings.
A Horrific Discovery
The case started on August 9, 2024, when Petrolini’s grandmother’s canine uncovered the physique of a new child boy, wrapped in a sheet and buried within the backyard of the household’s villa in Traversetolo. DNA checks confirmed Petrolini, then 21, because the mom and her boyfriend, Samuel, as the daddy. Petrolini was on trip in New York along with her dad and mom on the time, having given delivery alone on August 7, 2024. A leaked post-mortem revealed soil within the toddler’s lungs, indicating he was buried alive, dying from hemorrhagic shock attributable to an improperly reduce umbilical wire utilizing kitchen scissors.
A month later, on September 9, 2024, investigators, appearing on a hunch, found the stays of a second new child, born in Might 2023, additionally buried close to Petrolini’s bed room window. The second little one’s explanation for demise stays undetermined pending forensic evaluation, however prosecutors allege comparable circumstances. Petrolini initially denied each pregnancies, claiming heavy menstrual bleeding, however later admitted to the births whereas insisting each infants have been stillborn—a declare contradicted by proof within the August case.
Prosecutors Allege Premeditation
The Parma Prosecutor’s Workplace, led by Alfonso D’Avino, has charged Petrolini with two counts of premeditated homicide and corpse suppression. Court docket paperwork element a sample of deliberate concealment: Petrolini hid each pregnancies from her household, boyfriend, and buddies, drastically lowering meals consumption to take care of her determine and conducting on-line searches about abortion, inducing labor, and managing childbirth with out medical help. These searches, prosecutors argue, show intent to kill the infants earlier than, throughout, or after delivery.
The August 2024 toddler’s demise concerned a calculated act, with forensic proof displaying Petrolini used scissors to chop the umbilical wire, resulting in deadly blood loss. Her declare of a stillbirth was undermined by findings that the infant had breathed earlier than demise. For the Might 2023 toddler, whereas forensic outcomes are incomplete, investigators imagine Petrolini adopted an identical sample, burying the physique to maintain it “near her.” The prosecution additionally notes her evasive responses throughout interrogations, together with false claims about not utilizing her telephone throughout labor, contradicted by search information.
Authorized Proceedings and Protection
Petrolini was arrested on September 20, 2024, initially positioned beneath home arrest fairly than jail, a choice that sparked controversy. On October 17, 2024, the Bologna Court docket of Attraction accepted the prosecution’s enchantment for jail detention, however enforcement was suspended pending a possible Supreme Court docket ruling. In January 2025, Petrolini was allowed to return to her household’s villa after its launch from seizure, a transfer accredited by investigating decide Luca Agostini.
Throughout a September 26, 2024, preliminary listening to, Petrolini exercised her proper to stay silent, although her lawyer, Nicola Tria, said she had spoken with investigators twice and would possibly accomplish that once more. Tria has emphasised that Petrolini acted alone, with no proof implicating her household or boyfriend, who have been unaware of the pregnancies. A good friend’s declare that Petrolini was sexually assaulted by one other good friend months earlier than her first being pregnant in 2023 has been famous however deemed unrelated to the murders by investigators.
The protection might argue psychological misery, pointing to Petrolini’s solitary births and potential psychological well being points, although no formal analysis has been reported. Some on-line discussions, like these on Reddit, recommend maternal psychological points might query her culpability, evaluating the case to Andrea Yates, although others reject this, citing clear premeditation.
Neighborhood and Household Reactions
The Traversetolo neighborhood stays in shock, with mayor Simone Dall’Orto describing Petrolini’s household as “regular” and unsuspected. Petrolini, a mannequin pupil and babysitter, was energetic in her parish, making the allegations much more jarring. Her ex-boyfriend, Samuel, expressed devastation by his lawyer, in search of to call and bury the youngsters. The youngsters’s grandparents and Samuel might arrange a burial, although plans stay undecided.
Petrolini’s dad and mom, unaware of her pregnancies, have been within the U.S. throughout the first discovery and didn’t return instantly. Intercepted conversations present her mom questioning a previous hemorrhage in Might 2023, which Petrolini dismissed as menstrual bleeding. The neighborhood has known as for silence to heal, with proposals for a candlelight vigil for the infants.
Broader Context and Implications
The case has reignited debates in Italy about abortion entry, authorized however typically stigmatized, particularly in non secular communities like Petrolini’s. Her actions, together with researching abortion strategies, recommend desperation, although adoption was a viable choice she rejected. The trial, ongoing as of Might 2025, is beneath intense scrutiny, with a leaked post-mortem prompting an investigation into potential breaches of investigative secrecy.
As Petrolini awaits additional hearings, the case raises questions on psychological well being, societal pressures, and the authorized boundaries of premeditation. The prosecution’s case hinges on her calculated actions, whereas the protection might search to spotlight mitigating components. For Traversetolo, the tragedy leaves a long-lasting scar, with the neighborhood grappling with the lack of two lives and the unraveling of a seemingly unusual younger girl’s life.
