A British man fed his children poisonous mushrooms and doesn't understand why he lost his parental rights (4 photos)

A British man moved his family to the Italian wilderness, but life at one with nature didn't work out. Nathan Trevallyon, his Australian wife, Katherine Birmingham, and their three children settled in a country house in the woods of Abruzzo. Last week, police raided their home, took the children away, and took them to the hospital.





The family attracted the attention of authorities after all its members were hospitalized due to poisoning from mushrooms they picked in the forest.

The judge ordered the children removed after learning they weren't attending school or receiving tutoring.

Nathan is shocked: "It's a real shock. We became a target because we chose a different lifestyle."



The Trevallyons slept in one room and used the kitchen stove for heat. They used the toilet outside and got water from a nearby well.

The father is convinced: "This is the best way to raise children. We want the next generation to be more open and ready to change the world for the better. The winters here are mild. In the past, we lived in rented apartments, where the toilet was always cold."

Local residents supported the family, and a petition in their defense has garnered 45,000 signatures.





Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister, said: "I consider it shameful that the state is interfering in the personal choices of two parents who found hospitality in Italy and are now deprived of their children."

The mayor supported the family and donated olive oil and cookies as a sign of solidarity.

Nathan recounted, "I was meeting with the mayor and the lawyer when the social worker called to say she was at the police station and that we needed to come. There, we were met by ten police officers, who were essentially ready to kidnap the children. Only after 30 minutes of negotiation did they agree to let Katherine accompany the children to the center. The children's faces were filled with shock. The Vasto facility is behind a fence and very different from their normal world. They slept downstairs, and my wife was upstairs. I hope they can sleep with her tonight."