Italy is gripped by hunt for five-year-old Peruvian girl who was ‘bundled into a suitcase and kidnapped’ from squat occupied by 140 illegal migrants
Italian police are intensifying their efforts to locate a five-year-old Peruvian girl, Kataleya Mia Chicillo Alvarez, who was reportedly abducted from a hotel in Florence. The hotel, which housed over 140 illegal migrants, has become the center of a gripping investigation into the young girl’s disappearance. CCTV footage captured Kataleya playing near the hotel courtyard before she vanished on June 10. Authorities suspect she may have been forcibly placed inside a trunk or suitcase and taken through one of the hotel’s exits.
In a race against time, Italy’s Carabinieri Scientific Investigation Department, along with local services, are conducting an extensive search for the missing child. DNA analysis is being carried out using Kataleya’s toothbrush to aid in the investigation. Over the weekend, ten police officers meticulously sifted through bins outside the hotel, while specialist teams equipped with search equipment joined the search efforts. To ensure an unhindered search, the building was evacuated, allowing forensic officers to meticulously comb through the premises.
The search has extended beyond the hotel, with nearby buildings and garages also being thoroughly examined as potential temporary hiding places for the young girl. The involvement of anti-mafia police suggests the gravity of the ongoing investigation. Kataleya’s family, who had been residing in a room at the hotel, moved to Italy when she was just six months old. Shockingly, it was discovered that the hotel was housing 140 individuals illegally.
In a display of unwavering hope, Kataleya’s parents, Kathrina Alvarez and Miguel Angel Romero, attended a church service near the hotel to pray for their daughter’s safe return. The community, both Peruvians in Florence and the wider Florentine community have rallied together, mobilising efforts to find the missing child.
Cardinal Giuseppe Betori has called upon the parishes of the diocese of Florence to join in prayer for Kataleya’s safe return. The disappearance has deeply saddened not only the Peruvian community but also the entire Florentine community, drawing support from abroad, particularly from Peru. Miguel, who was released from prison on Tuesday after being detained for theft and credit card fraud, has expressed disbelief that his daughter is involved in the situation, suggesting a possible kidnapping for extortion.
Kathrina, who ingested bleach in a moment of desperation, has since been discharged from the hospital, vowing to remain strong and relentless in her pursuit to find her daughter. The Peruvian community in Florence has taken to the streets, brandishing placards demanding the release of the young girl, as the search for Kataleya continues to grip the nation with hope and determination.
