Priest investigated for manslaughter over death of newborn left on church doorstep

An Italian priest is being investigated for manslaughter over the death of a newborn baby left outside the doors of his church.

Father Antonio Ruccia, a parish priest at the San Giovanni Battista Church in the southern Italian city of Bari, has been named as a suspect despite being absent from the church at the time.

The newborn, believed to be a month old, was found dead on Jan 2 inside the church’s “thermal cradle”, a device set up for unwanted babies to be left anonymously.

It is not yet clear whether the baby died before it arrived at the church, whether the cradle’s alarm system malfunctioned or if the technology had not been repaired after a recent electrical blackout.

The cradle’s alarm and heating system is normally activated as soon as the baby is left there and a notification is supposed to be sent to the priest’s phone.

Father Ruccia reportedly told the congregation during a mass on Saturday: “We have gone through a traumatic experience”, adding: “As a community we are called upon to engender life. Chance made a mockery of us.”

A poster outside the church entrance urges those in difficulty to leave their child in the care of the parish accompanied by a picture of a newborn with the caption: “No baby is a mistake.”

The Bari prosecutor’s office, which initially launched an investigation into child neglect, is investigating the priest and a local technician who carried out recent maintenance work on the heated crib. Father Ruccia had been in Rome for Christmas festivities and initially told local media his mobile phone, which is normally connected to the activation of the cradle, did not ring. He could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

During mass on Saturday, he reportedly urged his parishioners to maintain “utmost silence” about the incident, however.