Father, mother and their five-year-old disabled daughter killed by gunshot wounds in Pietralata district of Rome. Investigators believe the parents made a carefully planned decision. The family dog was also found dead.
The bodies of three members of a family — a father, mother and their five-year-old daughter, who had a severe disability — were found inside a home in Rome’s Pietralata neighbourhood on Monday, in what investigators suspect was a murder-suicide.
The discovery
The bodies were discovered in the early afternoon of Monday, August 31, in an apartment on via dell’Antracite, in Pietralata on the eastern outskirts of the capital. Firefighters forced entry into the home after being alerted by a relative of the family who had been unable to reach them for some time. Inside, in a bedroom, they found the bodies of Luca Abbasciano, 42, an IT technician, and his wife Valentina Pambianco, 41, along with their daughter Bianca, who was due to turn six. All three had gunshot wounds. The family’s dog was also found dead at the scene, killed by a gunshot.
Emergency medical services and Carabinieri also responded to the scene, with firefighters called in specifically to allow investigators access to the property.
Investigators point to a planned act
Police believe the 42-year-old man may have shot his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself, though investigators have not yet established with certainty which of the two parents fired the weapon. A legally held pistol was seized at the scene.
According to reports based on investigators’ findings, the couple appear to have jointly decided to end their daughter’s life before taking their own. Investigators found dozens of handwritten notes addressed to relatives and friends inside the home, in which the couple are reported to have explained their reasons, asked for forgiveness and left final instructions. These details led investigators to describe the act as a carefully prepared plan rather than a sudden impulse.
A family under strain
Neighbours and relatives described a couple who had deeply wanted their daughter, born prematurely in 2021 with serious complications, and who had struggled for years afterward. According to accounts gathered by Italian media, Valentina had given up work and Luca, an IT technician, had begun working from home so the couple could dedicate themselves fully to their daughter’s care, amid fears she might not live long.
Local authorities confirmed the family had been supported by municipal social services given the severity of the child’s disability. The president of the local municipality described them as good people who had been struggling for years, adding that the mother had never resigned herself to the situation.
Prosecutors in Rome have opened an investigation to establish the precise sequence of events.
This article touches on a sensitive and distressing topic. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact a mental health professional or a crisis support service in your area.
