An Italian court has legally recognised a four-year-old child as having three parents — two fathers and one mother — in a landmark decision that has sparked controversy among conservative groups. The child, born in Germany, lives with two men who are married, one of whom is the biological parent, and the woman who is also legally recognised as a parent.
The ruling from the court of appeal in Bari overturns a local authority’s rejection of the third parent recognition, which had been based on suspicions of foreign surrogacy. The court accepted that no surrogacy arrangement was involved and confirmed the adoption under Italian law. This decision makes Italy the second European country after Germany to officially recognise a child with two fathers and one mother.
The case was publicised as Italy marked the 10th anniversary of legalising same-sex partnerships. Pro Vita & Famiglia, a Catholic advocacy group, condemned the ruling, saying it “upended family law” and exposed minors to social and ideological experiments. Other conservative and religious organisations also criticised the decision, arguing it undermines traditional family structures, natural parental roles, and societal norms, and warned that such legal precedents could have broader consequences if adopted more widely.
