The Italian government has granted citizenship to a seriously ill British girl, in a move aimed at preventing doctors from taking her off life support and allowing her to be flown to Italy, Reuters reports.
Eight-month-old Indi Gregori suffers from a rare mitochondrial disease, which means her cells do not produce enough energy. The hospital in Nottingham, in central England, said there was no point in continuing the treatment.
England's High Court agreed, ruling last month that it was in the baby's "best interests" to be taken off life support, and last Sunday rejected her parents' request to be allowed to take her to the Vatican Children's Hospital in Rome.
Italian Prime Minister Djordje Meloni's government held an emergency meeting on Monday at which Gregori became an Italian citizen. That was the only item on the agenda of the cabinet.
Thanks to this, Gregori "will be able to access care at the Bambino Gesu pediatric hospital," Galeaco Binjami, a deputy minister from Melonia's hard-right Brothers of Italy party, said on Facebook. If the government had not acted, life support machines would have been turned off on Monday, Binjami said.
Gregori's parents will now be able to approach the Italian consulate in Britain to request that she be transferred to Italy, an Italian government source told Reuters, adding, however, that Britain was under no obligation to grant the request.
According to Christian Concern, a group representing parents, the Italian government has offered to cover the cost of treatment at Bambino Gesu, a facility run by the Vatican.
"Even if the transfer to Italy involves a certain risk, the only alternative offered to us in Great Britain is to agree to Indi's death. There is nothing to lose for us or Indi," said Indi's father, Dean Gregory.
The spokesperson of the "Bambino Gesa" facility did not comment on the allegations, but "Christian Concern" published a statement from the president of the hospital confirming that he is ready to accept Indi as a patient.
This case is similar to the one in 2018 when a British court rejected the attempt of the parents of a seriously ill 23-month-old child to take him to Bambino Gesa.
The toddler, Alfie Evans, died days after being taken off life support.
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