Secret birth: what it is and why it could avoid tragedies and infanticides
In the light of the recent news events in Trieste and Settimo Torinese - which saw two women deny their newborn son and cause his death - the discussion on a subject as sensitive and delicate as little known in Italy is rekindled: the secret birth. This is an anonymous birth that provides for "assistance to the woman who chooses not to recognize her child and the protection of the same, guaranteeing him acceptance in an adoptive family, identified by the Juvenile Court.
Secret childbirth is an "initiative protected by Italian law which therefore allows the mother not to recognize the child and to leave him in the hospital where he was born (DPR 396/2000, art. 30, paragraph 2), while at the same time guaranteeing full anonymity. : in the birth certificate of the child it is in fact written "Born of a woman who does not allow her to be named".
Why is it important to promote knowledge globally? This opportunity, still too little known in Italy, could help reduce the number of unassisted births, guaranteeing the safety of women and newborns, and thus avoiding abandonment in unsafe places, which often lead to real tragedies.
In Italy every year there are about 300 newborns who are not recognized at birth but in the last ten years, this number has considerably reduced, with a decrease of about 30% with drastic consequences, as the two recent news events testify. occurred a few days from each other. Donata Nova Micucci of Anfana - National Association of Adoptive and Foster Families - attributes the reasons for this decline to the weakening of the guarantee of anonymity that would derive from some recent sentences, and which would have pushed women to prefer other choices, such as abortion or unassisted birth in unsafe places and ways, with an increase in infanticides or abandonment of babies in places that endanger their lives. But what are the legislative changes that we want to implement, and which would lead to even less adherence to the secret birth?
Secret delivery: what does the law provide? And what are the changes under discussion?
At present, the law on secret childbirth provides that the identity of women who choose to join it remains secret for 100 years. Today, however, we would like to make changes, which would partly undermine the guarantee of anonymity of women: In fact, 18 years old, a boy who wanted to have information about his biological mother could do so: a judge would take up the task of tracking down the woman and checking with her if he intends to continue to remain anonymous or if, given the child's request, wishes to reveal his identity.
Obviously, however, the woman's privacy would be protected, but many objections have already been advanced in this regard regarding the inevitable violation of the right to secrecy: as explained by Frida Tonizzo, from Anfaa, "Their requests would inevitably be examined by a large number of people and the letter of convocation to verify with the woman her willingness to meet her children could easily be seen by family members. In fact, the right to secrecy would be violated" .
The bill to protect women's anonymity
The Anfaa law proposal, to protect the total guarantee of the woman's anonymity, is the following: "that it is women who are willing to meet their children who show their availability at any time, revoking their decision". In this case, the process would start only and only if there was a manifest availability on the part of the woman herself. "The new will of the woman", continues Tonizzo, "could be manifested before an authority to be identified, such as the Juvenile Court or the Childhood Guarantor, and if the child asks for access to the documents, the process would start only if the woman has already previously expressed her availability in this regard, all the others could not be consulted in any way ".
This is because it is firmly believed that it is essential to respect women's privacy rights and avoid the adoption of decidedly unsafe solutions which, as we have seen, can endanger the lives of women and babies: "We believe that giving the woman the opportunity to report to the authorities her willingness to meet the child who requests it is a good way, allows the woman who wishes to rethink her choice and at the same time guarantees secrecy for all other".
Secret delivery: how to strengthen knowledge in Italy
In the aftermath of the events of Triste, which saw a sixteen year old abandon her newborn in the garden - then died of the cold - the National Guarantor for Childhood and Adolescence, Filomena Albano had already expressed the urgent need to strengthen the network of information about secret childbirth, starting from the youngest sections of society: "Even the youngest must know that, even if they do not feel ready to become parents, they have alternatives and can still give birth to a newborn, who will be able to live and be welcomed into a family that wishes to raise him with responsibility for it. is a huge resource. Italy respects the mother's will not to be named at the time of childbirth, in the utmost confidentiality and without blameworthy judgments, it is necessary to spread the awareness that there are alternatives to dramatic choices: girls must have confidence, they must ask for help and accept help, because they are not alone ".
From this point of view, it is therefore essential to strengthen communication within schools, in the counseling centers, throughout the network of social services, in order to intercept in time the extreme situations of greater fragility and to guarantee support and help, to avoid other dramatic situations. abandonment or infanticide episodes. Operation that inevitably involves greater awareness on the issue by the media and the institutional figures in charge through the development of a culture of information on a capillary network that allows all women to know their rights and the protections they enjoy.
