A child killed a police officer. Another was recruited to traffic large quantities of narcotics with Colombian and Mexican drug traffickers. A person who acted as a hitman joined Italy’s list of most wanted criminals. Others are charged with murder, extortion and mafia complicity. Dramatic and challenging cases filled Roberto Di Bella’s office up to 2012 when the juvenile criminal law specialist decided to develop a pioneering approach. The program, once a local experiment, is now widely recognized across Italy and studied in universities. It separates gangster children from their families to offer them an alternative life.
“We aren’t separating them so they stop loving their parents; we are separating them so there’s a chance they won’t follow in their parents’ footsteps. They gain access to a different world, go to school, and then choose which path to take,” Di Bella explains in an interview with El Periódico de Cataluña of the Prensa Ibérica group. “We also aim to shield them from danger, because the stigma of being a mafia child is real. This is very difficult.”
The Liberi di Scegliere program, which translates to He is free to choose, began with more than 100 youth involved. The children come from southern Sicily and Calabria, two Italian regions deeply affected by mafias. After the separation, many are placed with foster families. The program is run by volunteers or anti‑mafia communities and, in some cases, the beneficiaries are relocated to other parts of the country for periods ranging from two to four years, with renewals possible on request.
case by case
Over the years, judges have also become involved in about 30 cases that involve mothers. A mother can be documented if she decides to sever ties with the mafia and distance herself from the core family or agrees to cooperate with justice, potentially entering witness protection and even changing her name. Such measures occur in the most extreme cases involving very young children and require collaboration between juvenile courts and ordinary courts for adults. If parents abandon the mafia, revocation of parental authority or other protective measures may be considered.
“Every case is studied individually and many factors are weighed,” says Di Bella. He notes that the program, viewed as a last resort, is currently active in the Calabrian cities of Catanzaro and Reggio Calabria, as well as in the Sicilian cities of Palermo and Catania, where Di Bella is based. The project began in the first two locations, where the most powerful mafia groups operate, and later expanded to the other city. Naples has also begun implementing the program to a lesser extent.
Yet challenges remain. Just last year the Palermo prosecutor, Claudia Caramanna, who oversees these cases, received an anonymous threat, and in March criminals vandalized her office. Since then she has lived under escort. Di Bella notes that this is not unique to her; several jurors involved in the project have faced similar threats. The drama surrounding Children of the Mafia has inspired a film and underscores the risks faced by those who work to break the cycle.
Threats and controversies
Anna Sergi, a criminology professor at the University of Essex, observes that the program has stirred public debate in Italy. Some believe family unity should not be subject to such intervention. Others worry about the fate of a minor who is already a teenager. Sergi suggests that doing nothing is also risky, as children in mafia families can be exposed to radicalization and the culture of violence from a very young age. These are the kinds of influences the program aims to counter.
Another issue is funding. Much of the program relies on donations from the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), which keeps the initiative running but limits its scalability. Still, Sergi says this remains a groundbreaking effort in Italy to address mafia dynamics from a family perspective, and she believes the approach could be considered in other countries and for other groups involved in criminal activity.