Wow. Didn’t see this coming. I hope this changes things.
The Daily Star reports:
The 23-month-old has been granted citizenship in the hope that he can be taken to a hopsital in Rome for treatment, according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry.
“In this way, the Italian government hopes that being an Italian citizen allows the child immediate transfer to Italy,” the Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Alfie’s anguished parents, Tom Evans and Kate James, have been battling with authorities to take their sick son abroad for treatment, believing they can save his life.
But the couple were been dealt a massive blow today when European human rights judges rejected their plea to continue his life support.
Tom and Kate, both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, failed to persuade Supreme Court justices to consider their case.
The shock citizenship decision, however, will give Tom and Kate new hope in their fight with doctors, who argue that Alfie should be taken off life support.
In a Facebook post, Tom wrote: “Alfie has been granted Italian citizenship, we await for the Foreign Minister [Boris Johnson] to call. Alfie belongs to Italy.”
