The Limited Times

Indi's parents' appeal rejected, life support to end Monday

11/10/2023, 5:52:49 PM

Highlights: Indi's parents' appeal rejected, life support to end Monday. Premier Giorgia Meloni's cabinet made Indi an Italiancitizen in a last-ditch bid to get the British authorities toallow her to be flown to a Roman children's hospital before doctors pull the plug on her. The judges said the life support of the British girl, who hasincurable mitochondrial disease, should be turned off by Monday, according to Jacopo Coghe, spokesperson for Pro Vita & Famiglia.


An appeal by Indi Gregory's parents to stop doctors from turning off the life-support machine that is keeping the eight-month-old girl alive was rejected by a British court on Friday, Italian supporters of the family's cause said. © ANSA

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 10 - An appeal by Indi Gregory's parentsto stop doctors from turning off the life-support machine thatis keeping the eight-month-old girl alive was rejected by aBritish court on Friday, Italian supporters of the family'scause said.
   The judges said the life support of the British girl, who hasincurable mitochondrial disease, should be turned off by Monday,according to Jacopo Coghe, spokesperson for Pro Vita & Famigliaassociation, and the lawyer Simone Pillon.
   On Monday Premier Giorgia Meloni's cabinet made Indi an Italiancitizen in a last-ditch bid to get the British authorities toallow her to be flown to a Roman children's hospital beforedoctors pull the plug on her.
   The Vatican-run Bambino Gesu' children's hospital has comeforward and offered to assist Indi, as it had done in the pastfor another child, but in that case too, British justice saidno.
   The parents' latest appeal regarded the possibility oftransferring jurisdiction of the case to an Italian judge so shecan be treated in Italy.
   Meloni's government invoked the 1996 Hague Convention in its bidto have her transferred to Italy for treatment, sources said onFriday.
   On Thursday Meloni wrote a letter to the British Lord Chancellorand Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk "in order to makethe British judicial authorities sensitive" about thepossibility for child to be treated at an Italian paediatrichospital, the sources said.
   The letter aimed to bring about a breakthrough so that Indi canhave access to this treatment possibility "in the spirit ofcooperation that has always distinguished the two countries",the sources said.
   But Justice Peter Jackson ruled that the Italian interventionwas "not in in the spirit" of the Hague Convention, said Cogheand Pillon, who are in contact with the Gregory family's Britishlawyers.
   The British court also ruled that it was in a better position toassess the best interests of the child, so the involvement of anItalian court was not necessary. (ANSA).