Boy who survived cable car crash leaves Israel for Italy after lengthy custody battle
- Fourteen people, including Eitan Biran’s parents and younger brother, died when a gondola plunged to the ground in May
- The child’s departure to Italy comes after a months-long struggle between his grandfather Shmulik Peleg, based in Israel, and his aunt who lives in Italy
The six-year-old boy whose parents died in an Italian cable car crash flew from Israel to Italy on Friday after a drawn-out battle for custody, a family spokesman said.
“After 84 days since he was illegally removed from his home, Eitan will now return to his routine life... to his friends in the neighbourhood and to school, to the community where he grew up and to his beloved cat Oliver,” the spokesman Eitay Har-Or said.
The child’s departure to Italy comes after a months-long struggle between his maternal grandfather Shmulik Peleg, based in Israel, and his paternal aunt who lives in northern Italy, following the May accident in which Eitan Biran’s parents and brother were killed.
In October, Shmulik Peleg drove his grandson from Italy to Switzerland and then flew with him to Israel on a private jet, prompting an Italian kidnapping investigation and questioning by Israeli police.
On October 25, an Israeli family court ruled that the boy be returned to his family in Italy, and his grandfather lost an appeal against the decision on November 12.