Ten San Leonardo employees will be questioned today following the death of Greta Astarita in Castellammare.

A second judicial investigation is rocking the San Leonardo Hospital in Castellammare di Stabia, where the death of a seven-month pregnant woman and her baby has sparked deep concern. The Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor's Office and the Naples 3 South Local Health Authority have launched an investigation to shed full light on the sequence of events that led, in the space of a few hours, to the death of 33-year-old Greta Astarita and the baby she was carrying.

This morning, hospital management will interview ten people, identified among the San Leonardo staff who had contact with the woman from her first admission until her death. In this initial phase, these individuals are informed of the facts and are not under investigation, given that this is what the Local Health Authority (ASL) calls an "internal audit." It will be used by the health management to make any decisions regarding the suspension of its employees.

The magistrate will then be responsible for doing the same once he receives the initial information from the local police station investigating the case. The individuals identified, once the magistrate sets the autopsy date, will receive the formal notice of investigation, allowing them to appoint their own legal and medical advisors, who will be able to attend the autopsy.

The dynamics: from the first admission to the resignation and the tragedy

The story began when the woman, originally from Piano di Sorrento and expecting her second child, went to the San Leonardo emergency room complaining of groin pain. Before that, she had also visited the hospital in Vico Equense. After undergoing some medical tests in Castellammare, the patient was later discharged and allowed to return home.

A few hours later, however, her condition suddenly deteriorated. A new and violent illness caused her to faint, necessitating a second, desperate emergency transport to the hospital in Castellammare di Stabia. Deemed to be in very serious condition, doctors attempted everything possible, inducing an emergency delivery.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done for the newborn, who was supposed to be named Nicolò: he was pronounced dead around 11:00 PM on Friday. The mother, who was urgently transferred to the intensive care unit, passed away early yesterday afternoon.

The Prosecutor's Office investigation and the hypotheses under consideration

The Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor's Office—led by Chief Prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso, with Vincenzo Lanni, the prosecutor in charge of the case—has opened an investigation into the possibility of double manslaughter due to possible medical malpractice, currently against unknown persons.

Investigators have ordered the seizure of the bodies and medical records. Autopsies will be performed in the coming days, a crucial step in reconstructing the final hours of the mother and son's lives and accurately determining the clinical causes of death.

Among the medical-legal avenues being examined by experts is that of a possible thrombosis, a hypothesis that will need to be confirmed by autopsies and a detailed analysis of medical records.

On the administrative front, Giuseppe Russo, director general of the ASL Napoli 3 Sud, announced the immediate initiation of a comprehensive internal investigation: "The company deeply sympathizes with the family and the entire community," he stated, emphasizing full cooperation with the judicial authorities to determine any liability for the protection of the family and healthcare workers.

The community's condolences and the judicial background

The news has left the entire town of Piano di Sorrento in shock. Mayor Salvatore Cappiello expressed the grief and sympathy of the municipal administration: "There is news we never want to hear, and it leaves our community shocked, speechless, and lost," he said, recalling the personal tragedy of a shattered family and the five-year-old firstborn who now awaits the return of his deceased mother.

Furthermore, the legal case comes amidst a context already marked by strong tensions at the Castellammare di Stabia hospital. In recent days, the Gynecology department itself had been in the news for a restrictive house arrest order against the head physician and for interdictions issued to three other doctors following the death of a newborn in 2024.