Missing Teenager Found Safe in Udine, Italy
A 15-year-old girl called Martina Rinaldi has been found safe in Udine, in northern Italy.
She had gone missing from a hospital in the city on 11 September.
Since then, Italy's Polizia di Stato had been searching for her.
Local news reported that the search had been going on for several days.
This evening, officers finally found Martina in Udine itself.
It is not yet clear exactly where or how she was found.
The news has brought relief to people in the city who had followed the case.
Many residents had been worried, as Martina was a teenager who left a hospital alone.
Details about why she was in hospital have not been made public.
Italian authorities have not given further information about her disappearance.
It is also unclear if Martina left the hospital on her own or with someone else.
The Polizia di Stato is the main national police force in Italy.
They are usually responsible for cases like this, especially involving minors.
For now, the most important fact is that Martina has been found and is safe.
Local media continue to follow the story in Udine.
No further details have been released so far.
Vocabulary11 words
- missing
- gone; nobody knows where the person is
- hospital
- a place where people get medical care
- Polizia di Stato
- the national police force in Italy
- authorities
- official people in charge, like police or government
- disappearance
- the event of someone going missing
- minors
- people who are not yet legal adults
- residents
- people who live in a place
- officers
- members of the police
- case
- a situation that police are investigating
- relief
- the good feeling when a worry stops
- search
- an effort to find someone or something
Quiz
Answer key
1. In Udine 2. The Polizia di Stato 3. No, few details have been given
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A 15-year-old girl called Martina Rinaldi has been found _____ in Udine, in northern Italy.
She had gone _____ from a hospital in the city on 11 September.
Since then, Italy's _____ had been searching for her.
Local news reported that the _____ had been going on for several days.
This evening, officers finally found Martina in Udine _____.
It is not yet clear exactly where or how she was _____.
The news has brought _____ to people in the city who had followed the case.
Many residents had been worried, as Martina was a teenager who left a hospital _____.
Italian _____ have not given further information about her disappearance.
The Polizia di Stato is the main national police force in Italy, responsible for cases involving _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think searches for missing teenagers get so much public attention?
- What should hospitals do to prevent young patients from leaving without permission?
- How important is it for news reports to protect the privacy of minors in cases like this?
- How would you feel if a family member went missing, and how would you react?