An Italian TV program claims to have new evidence regarding the ongoing investigation into Emanuela Orlandi, the daughter of a Vatican employee who disappeared forty years ago.
The alleged evidence is in the form of letters from Vatican officials mentioning Emanuela’s uncle and suggesting he molested her older sister.
The Orlandi family has responded by vehemently denying these claims. Pietro and Natalina Orlandi, Emanuela's siblings, insist these allegations are false, saying the uncle may have made verbal advances but “nothing else.” They say there can be no connection between Emanuela's disappearance and her uncle as he was out of town on the day she vanished in 1983.
According to Pietro Orlandi, the alleged correspondence is an attempt to “distract attention” and “shift responsibility to the family”, rather than respect Pope Francis’ intention of seeking clarification in what is generally considered to be Italy’s most famous cold case.
KG