A Moroccan couple in Turin, Italy, is under investigation for aiding and abetting after they cared for a Moroccan newborn smuggled in a shopping bag from Morocco to Italy to be sold. However, they insist they did nothing wrong. Four people have been arrested—two for illegal entry and two for aiding and abetting. The couple, who has been taking care of little Sarah for six weeks, says they were unaware of the true circumstances. «They told us they had too much work to care for her», the husband told La Stampa. He and his wife spent €1,000 on strollers, toys, and diapers. «We loved her. Everyone here did», he recalls. Now, he has put all her things away, unable to bear the memories. The couple says they believed they were helping a mother in need. «Children are not left on the street», he says. The woman rarely visited, but they regularly took Sarah to see her at the bar where she worked. They even had a police-requested proxy signed by the mother, who claimed she had legally adopted Sarah in Morocco. Then, the authorities took Sarah away. «She was fine here», the husband said. «We had no idea she was smuggled. If we had known, we wouldn't have kept her for a minute longer—we would have called the police». Despite their claims, investigators remain unconvinced. The husband, however, is tormented by the separation. «I want to adopt her», he said. Investigators revealed that the biological mother had handed over Sarah to a couple who, upon arrival in Italy, sought assistance from the two fellow nationals to care for the child while searching for a buyer. Authorities tracked down the temporary caretakers on March 12, rescuing the baby in good health and initiating a foster placement. Arrest warrants were issued for the couple who transported the child, while the caretakers were caught in flagrante delicto, facing charges under immigration laws.
