A public prosecutor in Padua, northern Italy, has demanded the annulment of 33 birth certificates for children of same-sex couples that have been issued since 2017. The name of the non-biological mother is to be removed.

Removing one parent from a birth certificate leads to considerable bureaucratic hurdles and emotional stress. Italy legalized same-sex partnerships in 2016 but without granting couples full adoption rights, as it was feared this could encourage surrogacy, which remains illegal.

After the cases were referred to the Court of Appeal in Venice by the municipal court in March of this year, the court recently declared that it had no jurisdiction. The cases are now before the Constitutional Court and are not expected to be dealt with until next year. This work shows the everyday life of the affected families.