An Italian court has made a landmark decision by legally recognising three parents – two fathers and a mother – for a four-year-old child, a ruling that has drawn criticism from conservative Catholic groups.
Background of the Case
The unprecedented judgment, reported by Italian media on Tuesday and confirmed by lawyer Pasqua Manfredi, concerns a child born in Germany. The boy resides in Germany with two married men, one of whom is his biological father, having conceived the child with a female friend of the couple. The other father, who holds both Italian and German citizenship, adopted the child under German law. He subsequently sought to have this adoption officially recognised within Italy. However, a local Italian authority initially rejected the application, citing suspicions that the child was born via surrogacy abroad – a practice that Italy's conservative government has outlawed.
The Court's Decision
A court of appeal in the southern Italian city of Bari overturned the initial rejection, accepting that there were no surrogacy arrangements involved in the family. The ruling, which is final, means that Italy, like Germany, accepts that the child has two legally recognised fathers and one mother. Manfredi stated: "There was no secret surrogacy deal here, this is a case of three people who all want to be the parents of this child, and the court recognised this."
Timing and Reactions
The ruling dates from January, but it was publicised as Italy marked the 10th anniversary since parliament voted to legalise same-sex partnerships. Pro Vita & Famiglia, a Catholic group that campaigns for what it calls traditional family values, condemned the ruling and said legal recognition of same-sex unions had "upended family law, exposing minors to all kinds of social and ideological experimentations."
