A Hungarian woman has received a two-year suspended prison sentence for hiding her daughter from the girl’s Italian father for almost a decade, during which the child grew up without attending nursery or school.
Woman hid daughter from her father for a decade
The Mezőtúr District Court sentenced the 43-year-old woman for endangering a minor and suspended the prison term for four years. She has also been banned from working in any role involving the education, supervision, care or medical treatment of people under the age of 18 for two years. According to a statement from the Szolnok Court, the woman ignored a final court ruling that had terminated her parental custody rights and awarded custody of the child to her father.
From November 2014 until June 2025, she concealed the girl and refused to hand her over to the Italian man. The girl, now 15, was born in Italy to the Hungarian woman and her Italian partner. Their relationship subsequently broke down, and the mother took their three-month-old daughter to Hungary following an argument, cutting off contact with the father.
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A whole childhood spent in hiding
According to the court’s findings, the girl grew up without attending either nursery or school. Her mother initially taught her, after which she educated herself using textbooks and the internet. The child lived largely within a small circle consisting of her mother and other family members. She reportedly feared that her father or the authorities would find them and separate her from her mother. The court said she knew her father mainly through what it described as frightening stories told by her mother.
Meanwhile, the Italian father made repeated efforts to locate his daughter. A businessman from Padua appeared on television programmes, searched for her on social media, hired a private investigator and offered a EUR 10,000 reward for information leading to her discovery. He also wrote to the Pope seeking help. In 2018, a joint Hungarian-Italian investigative team was established following an agreement between the countries’ interior ministers at the time, Hungary’s Sándor Pintér and Italy’s Matteo Salvini. The initiative did not lead to the girl being found.
Hungarian police later commissioned an expert illustration showing how the child might look and offered a reward of HUF 500,000 (EUR 1,370) for information. In 2023, the father also appealed to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for assistance. He reportedly travelled to his former partner’s hometown of Mezőtúr several times in an attempt to see his daughter. The court proceedings eventually resulted in custody being awarded to the father, while an international warrant was issued for the mother.
Mother and daughter found in 2025
The long search ended in the summer of 2025, when Hungarian and Italian police carried out a joint operation in Mezőtúr and arrested the woman, who had been wanted by the authorities. Her daughter was with her at the time. Both were taken to the local police station. The Mezőtúr District Prosecutor’s Office brought charges on 21 July 2026. At a preparatory hearing on 6 October, the woman admitted the offence as charged and waived her right to a trial.
The prosecution, the defendant and her lawyer all accepted the court’s decision, meaning the judgment became final on the day it was delivered. The case highlights the consequences of the prolonged concealment of a child in defiance of a final custody ruling, as well as the years-long efforts made by the father and authorities to locate her.
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