UK judges dismiss appeal, order ‘immediate’ removal of baby Indi Gregory’s life support

The British parents of Indi Gregory, an eight-month-old with a rare mitochondrial disease, have received more bad news in the fight for the life of their child. According to the group Christian Concern, which is representing Indi’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, the government has ultimately denied their last-minute appeal and has ordered her to be removed from life support “immediately” in the hospital, rather than at her home.

Earlier this week, a judge ruled that Indi must be removed from life support and he declined to allow her transfer to a Vatican hospital for treatment, even though the Italian government had granted her emergency citizenship. Thursday, hours before the support was slated to be removed, a Court of Appeal judge said it would consider her parents’ appeal in a Friday hearing. However, during the Friday hearing, several of the UK’s top judges appeared unwilling to concede on any requests, including intense pressure from the Italian government to have Indi transferred there for care.

Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni granted Indi emergency citizenship after a Vatican hospital offered to treat her condition at no cost.

“They say there isn’t much hope for little Indi, but until the end I will do what I can to defend her life. And to defend her mum and dad’s right to do everything they can for her,” Meloni said at the time.

Despite the granting of Italian citizenship, British authorities refused to allow Indi’s transfer, a decision which prompted her Italian guardian Wednesday to make an urgent application to the UK High Court to cede jurisdiction of the case to him under Article 9§2 of the 1996 Hague Convention. Meloni also wrote to the UK’s Lord Chancellor imploring him to allow Indi’s transfer to Rome under the Hague Convention.

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These attempts did not appear to influence the judges and instead prompted Lord Justice Peter Jackson, Lady Justice Eleanor King, and Lord Justice Andrew Moylan to say during their Friday hearing that Italy’s intervention is “wholly misconceived” and “not in the spirit of the convention.” However, according to Christian Concern, the justices did not officially respond to the Italian request.

Indi’s father Dean Gregory expressed his dismay at receiving yet another ruling against his daughter.

“Claire and I are again disgusted by another one-sided decision from the judges and the Trust. The whole world is watching and is shocked at how we have been treated,” he said.

“Claire and I have always wanted what is in Indi’s best interests. She has human rights and we wanted her to have the best treatment possible. If the UK did not want to fund it, why can she not go to Italy and receive the treatment and care which the amazing Italian Prime Minister and government has offered? This feels like the latest kick in the teeth, and we will not give up fighting for our daughter’s chance to live until the end.”

Per Christian Concern, the exact time of the life support removal has not yet been specified.