Naples. Judge Giovanna Cervo of the Court of Naples has reopened the case of little Elena Cella, the 3-year-old girl who died on January 10, 2023 in hospital from an undiagnosed intestinal volvulus.
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The Naples Public Prosecutor's Office had requested the case be closed, but the child's parents had opposed it, highlighting possible negligence during the first hospitalization at the Santobono Hospital.
Elena had been admitted to Santobono on the night of January 9 with a severe stomachache. The tests had revealed a glycemic peak, and the child had been transferred to the Childhood Diabetology department of the Policlinico Vanvitelli.
There, however, she had a first cardiac arrest and had been resuscitated, intubated and brought back to Santobono in intensive care. In the following hours, two other cardiac arrests had proved fatal.
Little Girl Dies From Undiagnosed Intestinal Volvulus
The autopsy revealed the cause of death: intestinal volvulus which, according to an independent technical expert, could have been diagnosed with an ultrasound or a CT scan and, above all, operated on in good time.
Judge Cervo accepted the opposition of the parents of Elena and ordered the reopening of the case. He also appointed two consultants, a medical examiner and a pediatric surgeon, to investigate the circumstances of the first hospitalization and determine any negligence by the medical staff.
Family demands to know truth about little girl's death
“The family – declared the lawyer Enrico Ricciuto, legal representative of Elena's parents – has always had faith in justice and only asks that full light be shed on the death of little Elena”.
The child's relatives also ask the Prosecutor Nicola Gratteri to appoint a pediatric surgeon “of clear fame and independence” for medical-legal advice.
The death of Elena Cella has caused great emotion in the Neapolitan community and has turned the spotlight on the shortcomings of the health system. The case, reported in all the news of Naples, is now under the attention of the judiciary, which will have to shed light on the responsibilities of those who treated the child and ascertain whether there were errors or negligence that contributed to the tragic event.
Article published on 5 June 2024 - 18:06
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