No running water, no toilet, no school: Family chose off-grid living; Italy now separates them from their children

A heartbreaking child welfare case unfolding in Italy’s Abruzzo region has triggered widespread outrage after three young children were removed from their parents and placed in state care following concerns over their unconventional rural lifestyle.

At the centre of the storm are British national Nathan Trevallion and his Australian wife Catherine Birmingham, who chose to raise their family in deep countryside near the small village of Palmoli. Their dream was to live close to nature, away from urban pressures and modern excesses. Instead, that vision has now turned into a legal and emotional battle over parental rights.

A life built around nature

The family settled in the region in 2021 after purchasing a modest property that included an old farmhouse and a caravan. Legal documents later described the structure as a “dilapidated ruin”. For the couple, however, it was a peaceful sanctuary.

They lived off solar power and relied on a well for water. Heating came from fireplaces and a composting toilet stood outside the home. The children, an eight-year-old girl and six-year-old twin boys, were homeschooled and raised among farm animals, vegetable gardens and the surrounding forest.

Social media posts shared by Birmingham showed horses, donkeys and chickens alongside themes of holistic living and self-reliance. While supporters admired the lifestyle, authorities began to take notice after a medical emergency in 2024.

The incident that changed everything

All five family members were hospitalised after mistakenly eating poisonous mushrooms. Though the poisoning was ruled accidental, the seriousness of the situation prompted closer scrutiny from social services.

Repeated visits followed, with calls for the family to adopt regular medical checkups and enrol the children in formal education. Officials later claimed these recommendations were not followed.

The court’s decision

The juvenile court in L’Aquila ruled that the environment was unsafe for the children. Its findings stated, “The family unit lives in housing hardship as the building has not been declared habitable… The members of the Trevallion family have no social interaction, no fixed income, the home has no toilet facilities, and the children do not attend school.”

It further concluded that the conditions posed “serious and harmful” risks to the children’s development. Prosecutors also noted that the family was “living in a dilapidated ruin” and pointed to the lack of running water and reliance on an outdoor toilet as unacceptable for minors.

The court also raised concerns about images of the children published online, suggesting they were posted to present an image of normality after investigations began.

The day the children were taken

Carabinieri officers arrived on the property to implement the ruling and transported the children to a church-run shelter in Vasto. Birmingham accompanied them initially but was later separated.

From inside the facility, she spoke in anguish: “We’ve been imprisoned for a crime we never did… I have had my parental rights stripped from me.”

She added, “I am not allowed to see my kids, they are downstairs. I was told I cannot stay with them.”

Trevallion, who was barred from entering the shelter, described his devastation: “It was the worst night of my life… Taking children away from a parent is the greatest pain there is… It’s an injustice.”

He also said, “This is a great injustice… They have violated our rights.”

Earlier, he had defended their parenting, stating, “They are happy, smell good, well-mannered, and well-fed; why break this bond?”

The family fights back

Their lawyer Giovanni Angelucci insists the parents never endangered their children. He argues they simply chose a sustainable lifestyle focused on minimal environmental impact.

He stressed that composting toilets are common in eco-communities and that solar power and avoidance of running water were conscious choices. An appeal is now being prepared.

Court-appointed children’s advocate Marika Bolognese had earlier noted that the children appeared healthy and well-cared for.

Political backlash

The case has reached Italy’s highest political circles. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reportedly called it “alarming”.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the intervention, saying it was “shameful that the State is concerned with private education and the personal life choices of two parents who found Italy a hospitable country, yet it steals their children.”

He later added, “as a father, and as an Italian… I find it shameful that the state is concerned with the life choices of two parents who have found Italy a hospitable country.”

A nation divided

Petitions demanding the children’s return have gathered tens of thousands of signatures. One reads, “Catherine and Nathan are not poor, they don’t live in precarious conditions, they have simply made a choice to live like this.”

Advocacy groups have also spoken out. Jacopo Coghe of Pro Vita & Famiglia said, “The State and social services must intervene only in the presence of proven abuse, mistreatment, or neglect, not to punish lifestyles that do not fall within the dominant standard.”

Palmoli’s mayor Giuseppe Masciulli shared his shock, saying, “I’m a father myself, so I was deeply shocked by the situation.”

He added that the dispute could be resolved if minimum conditions such as running water and school coordination were met.

What lies ahead

As the legal process unfolds, the families’ emotional appeals continue to echo across Europe. Between state authority and parental freedom lies a difficult question. Where does protection end and intrusion begin?

For now, three children remain separated from their parents and a once-peaceful woodland home stands silent at the centre of a national storm.