Mother and daughter die after poisoning: five doctors under investigation in Campobasso

Campobasso – Five doctors from the Antonio Cardarelli Hospital in Campobasso have been placed under investigation in the investigation into the deaths of Sara Di Vita, 15, and her mother, Antonella Di Ielsi, 50, who died within hours of each other between Saturday night and Sunday morning in Pietracatella, in the province of Campobasso, after a suspected case of food poisoning. The charges advanced by the Prosecutor's Office include manslaughter and negligent assault.

The investigation, entrusted to the Flying Squad and coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office, aims to reconstruct in detail the sequence of medical interventions in the hours and days preceding the tragedy, with particular attention to the minor's previous visits to the emergency room: according to findings, there were two prior to her death. The case file also includes the requests for assistance submitted by the mother and the management of her clinical condition upon arrival at the hospital.

In a statement, the Prosecutor's Office clarified that registration in the register of suspects is a "required step," aimed at guaranteeing the right to defense and participation in the one-time technical investigations that will be ordered shortly. This is a procedural step that precedes consultations and investigations that could directly involve the work of healthcare personnel who intervened in the initial phases.

A multidisciplinary investigation package has been initiated, including autopsies and specialist consultations. The investigations will focus on three areas: identifying any personal liability related to negligence, underestimation, or errors in the application of diagnostic protocols; identifying the "trigger source" to trace the origin of the disease and the causal agent that led to its extremely rapid progression; and protecting public health, to exclude risks to other citizens.

On the medical front, the woman's 55-year-old husband is hospitalized at the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome. The hospital announced that he is currently undergoing the necessary tests, is alert, and is in stable and "well-monitored" condition. As a precaution, the minor's sister is also hospitalized at the Spallanzani Hospital and under observation.

According to initial reports, the tragedy may have been linked to foods consumed during the Christmas holidays, particularly fish. Among the hypotheses being examined is fulminant hepatitis, but investigators emphasize that ongoing tests—particularly the autopsy and toxicology results—will clarify the actual cause of death. Before final admission, the mother, daughter, and father reportedly visited the Cardarelli Hospital's emergency room twice, being discharged with diagnoses of food poisoning: a step that now becomes crucial in determining the timing, evaluation, and clinical response provided.