JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli police have questioned the grandfather of a young boy who was the only survivor of a fatal car crash in northern Italy earlier this year, on suspicion of stealing Tuesday.
Eitan Biran, aged 6, is fighting a bitter war between his Israeli grandmother and his siblings in Italy. In May, his parents and younger brother were among the 14 killed when a cable car hit a side of a mountain in northern Italy.
Eitan and his parents were living in Italy at the time of the accident, and after being released from a hospital in Turin a few weeks after receiving treatment for injuries, Italian court officials ruled that the child should live with his paternal uncle near Pavia, in northern Italy.
Relatives in Italy say the boy was illegally transported to Israel over the weekend. Corriere della Sera of Italy said his paternal grandmother was driving Eitan in a rented car to Lugano, Switzerland, where he boarded a flight to Tel Aviv.
Italian authorities also opened an investigation this week. The boy’s aunt, Aya Biran, filed a lawsuit in Italian to allow Eitan to return to Italy. He also told police that his grandfather on Saturday failed to return Eitan to his home as agreed. The Eitan family of Israel denies arresting him and insists they are doing his bidding.
Israeli police say in a statement that they have received a complaint about the theft of a baby in prison in the Eitan case. He said investigators were questioning a 58-year-old man living in central Petah Tikva on suspicion of involvement in the case, and an investigation was under way.
Relatives of Eitan’s mother said in a statement that Shmulik Peleg, Eitan’s grandmother, joined police detectives and was released from custody until Friday.
“Bringing the Eitan to Israel was legal after consultation,” Grandpa told reporters.
Italian journalist LaPresse quoted the Israeli ambassador to Italy, Dror Eydar, as saying: “I am heartbroken when I come across the latest and most mysterious things connected with the child Eitan Biran.”
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Associated Press correspondent Frances D’Emilio contributed from Rome.