Italy Passes Law to Help Family of Mafiosi Leave Crime

Italy’s parliament approved a law offering a path out of crime for the children and wives of Mafia members. The law, called Liberi di Scegliere, or Free to Choose, aims to break the cycle of organized crime by providing support and protection to families connected to groups like the ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria.

The program builds on a system started in 2011 in Reggio Calabria where a judge helped relocate children from dangerous families, ensuring they finished their education and built lives outside of crime. Parents who continued to involve children in criminal activity risked losing parental rights.

The new law prioritizes keeping mothers and children together if the mother severs ties with the Mafia. Families will be relocated to protected locations outside their home region, and children will receive educational and psychological support if their mothers remain connected to criminal clans. Officials estimate around 400 children born into Mafia families could enter the program annually.