Newborn found in a shopping bag under a crucifix in a Rome church

Found by a parishioner

On Friday, 6 November, at around 16:30, a parishioner at the San Gregorio Magno church in Rome found a newborn inside a plastic shopping bag. The bag had been placed under the crucifix near the altar. The parishioner raised the alarm, and Ares 118 crews and carabinieri were sent to the church on piazza Certaldo. The carabinieri involved come from the Villa Bonelli station and the Nucleo Radiomobile of the capital. The parish is described in some reports as being in the Magliana area and in others as being in the Portuense district.

Condition and treatment

Initial medical assessments estimate that the baby was born 24 to 48 hours earlier, and it appeared to be in good general condition when rescuers arrived. Adnkronos reported that the infant was not in danger of life. After first aid at the scene, the newborn was taken by 118 ambulance to the San Camillo-Forlanini hospital for checks and any necessary care. A doctor, two nurses and an ambulance driver provided the first treatment, according to the reports.

What the cameras show

A first review of the church's internal video shows a hooded person, probably a woman, laying the baby under the crucifix and then walking away. Carabinieri are now collecting footage from cameras in the surrounding area that may have recorded the same person on the escape route or on the way to the parish. The aim is to reconstruct the person's movements and gather evidence that can help identify who left the child. Reports describe the person only from the footage, and no identification has been reported.

Thanks from Ares 118

The management of Ares 118 publicly thanked the professionals who responded to the call. In its statement, the agency said the team acted promptly and with competence, as the following line shows.

“The most sincere thanks to all the professionals who, with promptness, competence and great sense of responsibility, ensured a timely intervention and careful care for the newborn.”

The agency said that the work of its operators showed once again the value of their daily efforts and their ability to respond with humanity and professionalism to delicate cases. Il Messaggero described the operation as a joint effort between health staff and the police, with one shared goal of protecting the health and safety of the child.