Abruzzo sisters missing for two weeks: boyfriend questioned again, prosecutor says they are likely with someone
Alisya, 16, and Sarah, 12, disappeared from a care home in Civitella Alfedena on the night of 6–7 June. Investigators now believe the two girls are probably being helped by an adult.
The disappearance
Alisya (16) and her younger sister Sarah (12) have been missing since the night of Saturday 6 to Sunday 7 June 2026, when they left the family home in Civitella Alfedena (province of L’Aquila), inside the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. The two minors were guests of the protected facility and had been placed there by the authorities. Their sudden disappearance triggered a large search operation involving Carabinieri, firefighters, drones and molecular dogs, but for almost two weeks no trace of them has been found.
- Alisya writes a love letter to Youssef, four days before the disappearance.
- The two sisters are last seen at a bar in Civitella Alfedena; later that afternoon Youssef reports his last contact with them.
- Night between 6 and 7 June: the girls disappear from the care home.
- Large-scale search begins in the Abruzzo National Park.
- Youssef is summoned to the Carabinieri station in Villetta Barrea and questioned for over six hours by prosecutor D’Angelo.
- Cassino prosecutor Fucci states it is ‘likely that they are with someone’.
Boyfriend questioned for over six hours
On 20 June, Youssef, the 18‑year‑old Egyptian boyfriend of Alisya, was summoned to the Carabinieri station in Villetta Barrea. He arrived alone by bicycle and was heard as a person informed of the facts by the Sulmona prosecutor Luciano D’Angelo, flanked by deputy prosecutor Edoardo Mariotti and the company commander Giuseppe Testa. The hearing lasted more than six hours (some sources report over three hours) and focused on the last contacts between the two sisters and their movements on the afternoon of 6 June, the day before the disappearance. Youssef, who had lived in the same community until 5 May when he turned 18 and left, is not under investigation at the moment.
There are no suspects. I needed to hear the boy again, and also other people from the community, guests and educators.
Secret hideout and the mother’s role
During the interrogation, Youssef repeated his claim that the girls’ mother, Valentina D’Acunto (39), may have played a role in the disappearance, saying she was ready to take them away even by force. He also spoke of a “secret hideout in the countryside near Cassino” where the sisters would be looked after by relatives who helped them leave. Youssef stated that after the event, the mother, the grandmother and the aunt blocked him on the phone. Investigators are examining these statements carefully. A notebook containing letters from Alisya and Sarah was shown to Youssef; in one of them, written four days before the disappearance, Alisya wrote to him: “I love you more and more every day. I am sure you are my first and true love because with you I am calm and serene.”
The investigation widens
Cassino chief prosecutor Carlo Fucci told the public broadcaster Rai: “It is likely that they are with someone.” He added that it is difficult to imagine two children managing on their own for such a long time, which logically points to adult support. Alessia Natali, coordinator for Abruzzo of the Penelope association, also believes the two sisters were assisted at every stage: they probably left the building through a broken window, walked along a path towards the Camosciara reserve, and were then picked up by a car heading towards Pescasseroli.
It is clear that it is difficult to imagine two children managing on their own when so much time passes. This logically leads to the hypothesis that there is someone’s support.
Search efforts and the father’s hope
The search covers the whole area of Lake Barrea, where divers from the Ancona fire brigade are checking three points identified by the Carabinieri, although prosecutor D’Angelo said: “In my opinion, there is zero chance that the girls are under that lake.” On land, financial police alpine teams, civil protection and canine units are combing woods and trails. Only three cars were filmed by surveillance cameras on the night of the disappearance, but the poor lighting and low image quality make it impossible to read the number plates. A hair clip attributed to the younger sister was found, but the girls’ father, Stefano Di Giacinto, says it does not belong to his daughter.
The father, who initially was in despair, has shown a more optimistic tone: “My heart tells me they are still well.” The Penelope association has announced the imminent use of a Life Seeker device, capable of locating mobile phones even in areas without coverage. The operations base has been moved from Civitella Alfedena to Villetta Barrea, where prosecutor D’Angelo also arrived to coordinate the investigative activities.
