His fate had aroused great emotion.
Italian justice on Sunday opened an investigation for "kidnapping" after the departure to Israel of little Eitan, the only survivor of the cable car accident that claimed the lives of 14 people in May in Stresa, in northern Italy.
Six-year-old Eitan Biran was whisked away to Israel by his maternal grandfather on Saturday in a private jet, during a visitation, after which he was supposed to take him back to his father's sister, Aya Biran-Nirko, resident of the province of Pavia (north) who had legal guardianship.
The Pavia prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for kidnapping, according to the Ansa agency.
His parents and his little brother perished in the tragedy
Six-year-old Eitan's parents, along with his younger brother and two great-grandparents, were killed in a cable car crash on May 23 in Stresa, a Piedmont resort on the shores of Lake Maggiore.
Seriously injured, Eitan had spent several weeks in Turin hospital.
Since his release, his paternal family, resident in Italy, and his maternal family, resident in Israel, have been fighting for custody.
Eitan had been entrusted to his paternal aunt by the Turin juvenile court, while his mother's family had visitation rights.
Italian justice had also ordered the return of his passport which his maternal family was in possession of.
"We did not kidnap him (...), we brought him home"
In an interview with Israeli Radio 103 broadcast on Sunday, her maternal aunt, Gali Peleg, provided her version of her return to Israel.
“We didn't kidnap him (...), we brought him home.
We had to do it because we didn't have information about Eitan's physical and mental health, ”she explained.
"We brought him home, that's what his parents wanted, they had to go home and pushed back because of the coronavirus but when they were here a few months ago, we had spoken with them about the return", a she assured.
Eitan's parents, Amit Biran, 30, and Tal Peleg, 27, had lived for several years in Italy where Amit was a medical student.
Their youngest son, Tom, was born there in 2019.
The president of the Jewish community of Milan condemned "an act which violates Italian and international laws". "We hope that the case will be resolved as soon as possible in accordance with the decision of the juvenile court," added Milo Hasbani in a statement.
