Italy: Mother’s Plea as Children Reportedly Suffer Trauma in Care

Italian Authorities Face Scrutiny as Children Report Distress in Care

A mother is pleading for the return of her three children, who have been in the care of Italian social services since November, alleging they are experiencing significant emotional and psychological distress. Catherine Birmingham, in a detailed letter published by Italian newspaper ‘Il Centro,’ describes a disturbing decline in her children’s well-being since their removal from the family’s off-grid lifestyle in the Abruzzo woods.

The children – ages six to eight, according to previous reporting – were taken into care after their parents, British national Nathan Trevallion and Australian Catherine Birmingham, were found unconscious after accidentally consuming poisonous mushrooms. Authorities also cited concerns over the children’s lack of formal schooling and the family’s basic living conditions, which included an outdoor pit toilet.

Birmingham’s letter, addressed to those responsible for the children’s welfare, details accounts from her children expressing unhappiness and describing the care facility as “ugly.” The eldest child, reportedly speaking for his two sisters, voiced a desire to return home, stating they miss their father, animals, friends, and their previous life.

The mother alleges a progressive worsening of the children’s condition following their removal. She describes nightmares, terrifying screams during the night, and desperate pleas for her help. Birmingham also reports concerning regressive behaviors, including constant chewing on fingers, hair, and clothing, even damaging sensory regulation tools provided by the facility.

Restrictions on the children’s freedom of movement are also highlighted in the letter. Birmingham claims her children have been prohibited from even riding bicycles around the building or engaging in outdoor activities near their mother, further exacerbating their emotional distress and depriving them of “emotional and physical needs.”

Birmingham asserts her children have been increasingly isolated from loved ones and stripped of “every defense mechanism” needed to cope with such a drastic separation. She claims their pleas for help have been “ignored, dismissed, and disbelieved,” and alleges that instead of support, they have been given “sugar, education, and syringes.” The letter paints a picture of escalating “anger, anxiety, and begging not to be left alone,” alongside hunger, fatigue, and a growing sense of trauma, depression, and constant anxiety.

The letter concludes with a direct and urgent appeal for the children’s immediate return to their mother and father, and to their former home, which Birmingham describes as “healthy, happy, and loved.”

The case echoes concerns raised in a recent report by The Times, which reported that the children are self-harming while separated from their parents. The family’s lawyer, Marco Femminella, told the publication the children “can see no reason for being held in a care home and are taking the blame, saying, ‘What did we do wrong?’”

The situation also bears similarities to cases involving the removal of children from families due to unconventional lifestyles, raising questions about the balance between child welfare and parental rights. A 2025 report from NL Times detailed the removal of two Dutch children from their parents in Italy due to severe neglect, highlighting the challenges faced by authorities in assessing and responding to vulnerable children living in isolated circumstances.

The Italian courts continue to deliberate on the future of the Trevallion-Birmingham family.