The prosecutor's office in the Italian town of Vasto has charged the mother of a 15-month-old boy with involuntary manslaughter. Although it was initially assumed that the death was due to natural causes, an autopsy and thorough investigation revealed the presence of drugs in the child's body. The woman is also accused of misleading investigators by providing false information about the circumstances of the tragedy, which occurred in August last year in the Abruzzo region.
Shocking cause of death
Toxicological tests revealed that a 15-month-old boy died after ingesting cocaine found in the home.
Charges against the mother
The woman will answer for involuntary manslaughter and giving false testimony to the prosecutor during the preliminary stage of the investigation.
Property seizure
Italian authorities decided to seize the apartment in the town of Vasto to conduct a detailed reconstruction of events.
The investigation conducted by the prosecutor's office in Vasto has led to a breakthrough in the case of the death of a young boy, which occurred on August 10, 2025. Initially, medical services and law enforcement suspected so-called sudden infant death syndrome or an unfortunate accident resulting from choking on a foreign object. However, toxicology results clearly indicated that the cause of death was involuntary manslaughter through ingestion of cocaine, which the child found at home. During the proceedings, investigators determined that the child's mother not only committed gross negligence by leaving the dangerous substance within reach of a one-year-old child, but also actively obstructed the investigation. The prosecutor's office accuses the woman of giving false testimony to a representative of the judiciary. To secure evidence, the Frentana prosecutor's office decided to seize the apartment where the tragedy occurred, which allowed for the collection of additional traces confirming the presence of drugs in the family's living space. Italian criminal law provides severe penalties for endangering minors, especially in the context of possession of intoxicating substances. In recent years, public debate in Italy has focused on increasing protection for children in homes where caregivers abuse psychoactive substances.The defense of the suspect will have to face scientific evidence that ruled out initial hypotheses of a fatal coincidence. This case has caused great upheaval in the Abruzzo region, drawing attention to the problem of the availability of hard drugs in the home environment. Currently, the prosecutor's office is analyzing whether other third parties may have been involved in the incident, who could have supplied the drugs to the mother's apartment. 15 months — the age of the child at the time of the tragic death Course of the investigation in Vasto: August 10, 2025 — Child's death; August 12, 2025 — Autopsy; February 20, 2026 — Charges filed