Vatican opens probe into Emanuela Orland

(ANSA) - Rome, April 10 - The Vatican has decided to Vatican open an internal probe into the case of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old Vatican citizen who disappeared in the summer of 1983, Orlandi's family lawyer Laura Sgrò said Wednesday. She said the Secretariat of State had "authorised the opening of an investigation" into a grave in the Teutonic Cemetery inside the Vatican that some think may be Orlandi's.
    The Vatican said on March 27 it was handling a request from Orlandi's family to see if the tomb was that of Orlandi.
    "We're handling it, we'll find a way. I can't say any more," said the Vatican tribunal's promoter of justice, Gian Pierto Milano.
    On March 4 Orlandi's family asked the Vatican to reopen what it calls a "suspect" tomb in the Teutonic Cemetery in the Vatican.
    "I can confirm that the letter from Emanuela Orlandi's family has been received by (Secretary of State) Cardinal Pietro Parolin," said interim Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti.
    He said their request to have the tomb reopened "will now be studied".
    A lawyer for the Orlandi family said "seeing that the Pope has decided to open the Vatican Archives for the Pontificate of Pius XII in 2020, we make an appeal to the pontiff to give us access to the dossier that regards the investigation into the disappearance of Emanule Orlandi".
    Last summer the Orlandi family lawyer received an anonymous note saying "seek where the angel indicates".
    Investigations then led the family to think her remains might be in the tomb, which is pointed to by an angel on the cemetery wall holding a sheet saying RIP.