Little Ethan Found: He Was in California

Ethan, the newborn who disappeared last August 30, was found in California by the US police. The complaint of his mother, Claudia Ciampa, originally from Piano di Sorrento, had started the search.

The child had been deceived by his American ex-partner during a vacation in Puglia. Once located, he was handed over to the custody of American authorities. A judge issued an emergency order requiring Ethan to be returned to his mother, who is already on her way to Los Angeles to be reunited with him.

A hearing will be held in the coming days to discuss the child's repatriation to Italy, pursuant to the Hague Convention. The resolution of the case was possible thanks to the collaboration between Italian and US authorities.

Claudia Ciampa, as soon as he learned the news, expressed gratitude: «I thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the Italian authorities for their solidarity and commitment to my son's well-being.

In the Sorrento peninsula, several demonstrations of solidarity accompanied the event, including a torchlight procession organized by the mayors of the area.

Upon hearing the news that her seven-month-old son had been found, the boy's mother expressed gratitude to the authorities who handled the case: "I thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the other Italian authorities," she said, "for their solidarity and commitment to my son's well-being, and I thank the United States authorities for their prompt intervention."

In recent months, the woman had addressed a letter not only to Foreign Minister Tajani, but also to the Pope. Several demonstrations of solidarity were organized in recent weeks on the Sorrento peninsula, including a torchlight procession with the mayors of the area.