Italy Expands Program to Rescue Children from Mafia Families

The 'Free to Choose' initiative, aimed at preventing children from entering a life of crime, now includes Sicily and Campania alongside Calabria.

The Italian government has extended the 'Free to Choose' program, originally established in Calabria, to Sicily and Campania to rescue children from mafia families.
Children, some as young as eight, are being removed from their families to break the cycle of crime, with over 150 children already placed in foster care or safe houses.
The initiative has been praised as a historic moment in the fight against the mafia, with significant support from the Italian justice ministry and the Catholic Church.
Critics argue the program infringes on the rights of families, even those involved in organized crime, sparking controversy.
The program's expansion follows a concerted crackdown on organized crime in Italy, leading to a shift in the mafia landscape and hundreds of arrests.