A five-year-old girl with severe disabilities was found dead alongside her parents in their home in the Rome suburb of Pietralata on Monday, in what police believe was a murder-suicide. Luca Abbasciano, 42, and Valentina Pambianco, 41, were found in bed with their daughter Bianca, all having suffered gunshot wounds; the family's pet dog had also been shot dead. The tragedy has drawn attention to the immense strain faced by families caring for severely disabled children with limited support, and to the isolation the couple experienced in the years before their deaths.

Emergency services broke down the door of the property at 1pm after relatives were unable to reach the family for several hours. Officers reportedly found dozens of letters around the bodies, addressed to loved ones and containing apologies and instructions, including one from Luca asking his sister to care for their father, and another reading "we can't do this alone". Neighbours and local officials said the couple, who had lived in the house for around a decade, had grown increasingly withdrawn since Bianca's premature birth in 2021, with Valentina leaving her job to care for her full-time and the family reportedly exploring specialist treatment in Mexico. A local politician said the family had been in contact with social services, adding that "loneliness is the greatest evil in the world today". Police are continuing to investigate and reconstruct the family's final hours.