Juana Rivas hands over her youngest son to return to Italy with his father: how did it get here?

BarcelonaThe day has arrived. Juana Rivas He finally had to give up his young son, Daniel, this Friday., to her ex-partner and the child's father (he is 11 years old), the Italian Francesco Arcuri. This was established by a Granada court after a first failed attempt last Tuesday. The numerous appeals by the woman's defense, social and political pressure, and the child's own rejection have been of no use in preventing her return to Italy, where Arcuri is awaiting trial for alleged continued abuse of his children. The exchange took place in the Granada courts.

Rivas and the child's father drove between 9 and 9:30 into the court parking lot, the designated place to comply with the court ruling, and the woman left shortly after 11:00. By court order, the exchange was to take place in private to avoid the tense moments that arose last Tuesday at the meeting point where Daniel was to meet his father. A large media presence, along with Rivas's family, advisors, lawyers, and supporters, led the court to postpone the exchange.

In recent days, there have been accusations between both parties and complaints and attempts by Rivas's legal team to ensure that the minor can remain with her, an objective also supported by the Spanish government and even Amnesty International. But last Tuesday, The Constitutional Court rejected the request for precautionary measures Rivas's defense team for suspending Daniel's exchange. And this Thursday, the Granada Court, at Arcuri's request, ordered an investigation into Rivas for child abduction. The father, who has custody of the child, will return to Carloforte, Sardinia, in the coming hours.

To understand how we got to this point, we have to go back seven months. Rivas, who lives with the eldest of her two sons—Gabriel, now of legal age—had managed to keep Daniel when he visited them during the last Christmas holidays. And two weeks ago, the third court of first instance in Granada ordered the execution of the sentence. He had to leave with his father. "It's a very harsh letter [...] He is afraid, he feels terrified, and he doesn't want to return to Italy," the minister stated at the time, according to which the boy recounted "very serious episodes of violence" he had repeatedly suffered in Italy. He had been manipulated.

The Juana Rivas case dates back to 2017, when, taking advantage of a trip to Spain, the woman disappeared with her two minor children so as not to hand them over to Arcuri, who in 2009 was convicted of mistreatment – and denounced again by her in 2016 –, although he had managed to get the case. Rivas ended up sentenced to two and a half years in prison for child abduction, although she managed to reduce the sentence thanks to a reduction by the Supreme Court anda partial pardon from the Spanish government, among others. In March 2022was finally released.