Castellammare, Greta Astarita's death: 10 under investigation; autopsy tomorrow.

Castellammare – The deaths of Greta Astarita, 33, and her baby boy Nicolò, who died about half an hour after being born prematurely, are now at the center of a judicial investigation that is entering the forensic examination phase.

The Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor's Office has placed ten health workers under investigation as part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the woman and her newborn, who was born in the seventh month of pregnancy.

This initial investigative step will allow us to reconstruct the sequence of clinical events, assess the patient's condition during hospitalization, and verify whether the care provided was appropriate for her medical situation. The registration of the doctors represents a safeguard for the investigation and the right to defense, in view of the unrepeatable technical tests; therefore, it does not constitute proof of liability.

Ten health workers are under investigation

The warnings concern eight doctors from the San Leonardo Hospital in Castellammare di Stabia and two from the Ospedale del Mare in Naples. These are the facilities involved in the 33-year-old's care, who also passed through the Vico Equense hospital before being transferred to the Castellammare di Stabia hospital and, subsequently, to the Naples hospital, according to the reconstruction of the incident.

Investigators are focusing on the woman's final hours of life, as well as on the clinical assessments and decisions made during the various phases of care. It will be necessary to establish what symptoms were detected, what tests were performed, what treatments were prescribed, and whether, given the patient's condition, further diagnostic testing was indicated.

The case includes information gathered by State Police officers from the Castellammare di Stabia police station, who are conducting the investigation under the coordination of the Oplonti Public Prosecutor's Office.

Autopsy on mother and son on Thursday

The next crucial step is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, when the judicial offices will appoint the technical consultants from the Prosecutor's Office. The autopsies will examine both bodies and will help clarify the causes of the two deaths, any correlation between the clinical events, and the conditions that preceded the deaths of the woman and the newborn.

The ten health workers under investigation will be able to appoint their own technical consultants, who will be entitled to participate in the expert assessments and make observations during the investigations. The assessments are expected to take place at the Castellammare di Stabia morgue, once the required procedures have been completed.

Forensic medical advice will be crucial to verify the compatibility of the clinical conditions with the investigative hypotheses and to distinguish any pathological factors from potential critical issues in the care pathway. The test results must then be evaluated together with the medical records and other evidence acquired by investigators.

The thrombosis hypothesis and the tests to be verified

Among the hypotheses being examined by investigators is that of thrombosis as a possible cause of Greta Astarita's death. This is currently an investigative lead awaiting confirmation from forensic investigations and cannot be considered a confirmed cause of death.

One of the key questions concerns the tests performed during the patient's initial hospitalization and those that, according to the investigative hypothesis, could have been necessary but were not performed. The consultation will determine whether there were clinical indications requiring further investigation, whether any signs were recognizable, and whether the therapeutic decisions made were consistent with the patient's condition.

The analysis will also need to reconstruct the timing and methods of transfers between different hospitals, evaluating the evolution of the clinical picture and the information available to healthcare providers at various stages of care.

The reconstruction of the Prosecutor's Office

The investigation, coordinated by Torre Annunziata prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso and deputy prosecutor Vincenzo Lanni, aims to reconstruct the entire story, from the care provided during the pregnancy to the final attempts at treatment.

The deaths of the mother and child require that the two events be kept separate from each other from a medical-legal perspective, while still examining them within the overall context of the case. Autopsies and a review of medical records will clarify the causes of death, any connections, and whether or not there was any negligence in the medical staff's actions.

For now, the proceedings remain in the investigative phase. The appointment of the expert witness represents the first crucial technical step towards providing answers to the family and the judiciary regarding what happened to Greta Astarita and little Nicolò.