Cagliari police arrest 55-year-old man accused of sexually abusing his daughter
Squadron officers arrested the man on 13 October 2026 under a custody order for sexual violence against his daughter. DNA analysis of the foetus, according to La Repubblica, pointed to him as the alleged perpetrator.
Discovery at the hospital
In October 2025, according to ANSA and Rai, the girl was taken to hospital by her parents for a visit connected to problems with her menstrual cycle. A few tests were enough for doctors to find that she was pregnant, and they called the police themselves. The girl told investigators that someone had attacked her in the street while she was walking home. La Repubblica reports that this account did not convince the investigators. The Cagliari prosecutor's office then ordered DNA analysis of the foetus, along with samples from relatives and friends of the girl for comparison. The pregnancy was later terminated, a decision La Repubblica says took the victim's age into account.
The DNA results and the arrest
Genetic analysis of the foetus, together with other checks and statements gathered over several months, produced a different reconstruction from the girl's first account, according to La Repubblica. On 13 October 2026, officers of the Squadra Mobile executed a custody order against a 55-year-old man who lives in the hinterland of Cagliari. He is accused of sexual violence against his daughter, and Adnkronos says the alleged abuse dates back to the previous autumn. The man is now held in a cell at the Uta prison. Investigators have kept the details tightly under wraps to protect the girl.
- Girl taken to hospital, where doctors found she was pregnant and alerted police
- Squadra Mobile officers arrest the 55-year-old father under a custody order
- Questioning by the investigating judge expected in Cagliari
Next steps and open questions
ANSA reports that the man is expected to be questioned by the investigating judge, the gip, in Cagliari on 15 October 2026, when the guarantee hearing is due to take place. Sources differ on the girl's age, with ANSA, Rai and La Repubblica giving 12 and Adnkronos giving 13. The first account of an attack by an unknown person in the street has not been accepted by investigators, and the reconstruction now rests on the genetic and other evidence gathered by the police and the prosecutors. La Repubblica notes that the presumption of innocence applies until a final judgment. No further charges or statements from the prosecutors have been reported in the articles.