Investigators probe abduction as two sisters, 12 and 16, remain missing six days after vanishing from Abruzzo care home
Sarah and Alisya Di Giacinto, aged 12 and 16, disappeared in the early hours of June 7 from a protected community in Civitella Alfedena. Six days later, search efforts involving dogs and drones have yielded no trace, and investigators suspect they were aided by a third party.
Disappearance
Sisters Alisya (16) and Sarah (12) Di Giacinto left the Ofh Hope community in Civitella Alfedena between 2 and 5 AM on June 7 through a broken window without bars. They took no mobile phones and left no distinctive traces. The facility, which had hosted them since 2024, lacked internal video surveillance and an alarm system. The only cameras in the village, at its entrances, did not record the girls passing.
For how the place is made, it's hard to imagine they could have gone away alone without being seen or intercepted.
Search operations
Mantrailing dogs, drones, and firefighters combed wooded areas around Lake Barrea and the surrounding mountains. The search was extended nationwide, with particular attention to southern Lazio, including Minturno, Scauri, and Fondi, where the girls are from. Searches at the mother's home and relatives' residences yielded nothing. A reported sighting on June 11 was checked and proved unfounded.
- Sisters disappear through broken window between 2 and 5 AM
- Staff alert authorities and family in the afternoon, hours after the disappearance
- Prosecutor opens investigation for child abduction; carabinieri begin search
- Mantrailing dogs and drones deployed; national search extended; abduction hypothesis dominates
Investigation and hypotheses
The Sulmona Prosecutor's Office opened a file for child abduction against unknown persons, coordinated by prosecutor Stefano Iafolla under the supervision of Luciano D'Angelo. Carabinieri from Castel di Sangro, led by captain Giuseppe Testa, inspected the girls' room and seized electronic devices. The boyfriend of Alisya, also 16, was questioned but provided no useful information. Investigators increasingly doubt the girls could have left on foot through the isolated, wildlife-rich area without outside help. The father, Stefano Di Giacinto, told reporters he believes someone they knew picked them up.
It's impossible that they left on their own, on foot and in the middle of the night, in an isolated mountain area with no buses and wild animals. The nearest train station is several kilometres away. Someone took them, and it must be someone they know.
Family and background
The parents divorced years ago, and the girls had been in care for seven years. In early May 2026, the father regained exclusive parental authority. Both parents made public appeals. The mother, Valentina D'Acunto, said: "I only ask that Alisya and Sarah be found. I ask anyone who knows something to do the right thing now." The sisters were described as polite and composed. Alisya, reserved, loves dancing and athletics, and dreams of becoming a criminologist. Sarah wants to be a beautician and is deeply attached to her sister. They were upset about being separated from their two Jack Russell dogs, a request to bring them to the facility that was denied.
Community under scrutiny
The community staff waited until early Sunday afternoon to alert police and family, hoping the girls would return on their own. The delay cost hours and prompted a separate investigation into potential negligence. Alessia Natali of the Penelope association, which supports families of missing persons, criticised the facility:
The structure had no alarm or cameras, and the mountain roads lack any surveillance.How can it be defined as protected if it can't protect its guests?
