DR ‹ › A case involving the illegal transport of a Moroccan newborn from Tangier to Genoa in October 2024 has taken a new legal turn in Italy, with the couple accused of organizing the journey choosing different paths in court, writes Corriere Torino. On March 10, the 42-year-old woman who traveled with the baby asked for a two-year plea deal. Prosecutors agreed to drop the accusation that she acted for financial gain, which reduces the severity of the charge and makes the sentence eligible for suspension. Her 65-year-old husband, however, opted to go to trial. Described by investigators as «professionally involved in the clandestine transport of foreigners», he claimed he had merely followed his wife despite opposing the illegal transfer. Two other defendants, a Moroccan couple who hosted the child between December 2024 and the police raid by the Flying Squad, chose an expedited trial. Prosecutors have requested ten-month prison sentences for aiding and abetting. The child, now around one and a half years old, has been placed in temporary foster care with a couple from the Turin area while adoption procedures are pending. The case dates back to October 2024, when the couple allegedly smuggled the newborn from Tangier to Italy by hiding her in a shopping bag on a ferry to Genoa. After arriving in Turin, the couple reportedly entrusted the baby to another Moroccan couple while searching for someone willing to adopt her in exchange for money. The child was eventually found by police after weeks of surveillance and placed under the care of social services.
