Mother allegedly kills her daughter due to mental struggles

Tragedy in Nole near Turin, where a 10-month-old girl was found dead in the house. She was allegedly murdered by her mother, who had been undergoing treatment for over a year and was supposed to go to a psychologist this afternoon. According to investigators, the woman had mental problems from the first months of her pregnancy and was under the care of a psychologist. After killing her daughter, the woman tried to commit suicide with a knife. She was taken to hospital, but her condition is not life-threatening. The father tried to resuscitate the child before the emergency services arrived. The girl was the only child of the couple, both in their thirties. Her mother was found next to her, injured with a kitchen knife. In recent years, several cases of infanticide have been reported in Italy, often linked to mental disorders such as postnatal depression or other emotional problems. These dramatic acts, also known as the “Medea syndrome”, are a complex phenomenon. Between 2000 and 2017, 447 children were killed by their parents or relatives, with the majority of cases involving mothers in the child’s early years. Of these, 61 cases of infanticide (children aged 0–5) were attributed to mothers. From 2010 to the present, approximately 268 child murders have occurred in Italy, with one case occurring every 15 days. More than half of the victims were children under the age of 12, and 39.7% were children between 0 and 5 years old. Depression and mental disorders are the motive behind 54.2% of cases committed by mothers. Characteristic cases: – Cogne (2002): Annamaria Franzoni killed her three-year-old son Samuele. The case shocked Italy and sparked a debate about the mental instability of mothers. – Pinerolo (2015): A mother strangled her newborn son after a postpartum depression crisis. – Lecco (2021): A woman of foreign descent drowned her six-month-old daughter, leaving a letter revealing serious mental problems. – Avellino (2022): A mother diagnosed with postpartum depression killed her several-month-old son and then tried to commit suicide. – Parma (2024): Chiara Petrolini gave birth and buried two newborns in her garden. Mental and social factors: – Medea syndrome: a state of frustration and isolation that can lead to extreme behavior. Symptoms include aggression, suicidal tendencies, couple conflicts, and repressed anger. – The role of society: The idealization of motherhood and the stigmatization of maternal mental suffering often prevent quick interventions.