Monday, 27th February 2006, 10:02
Category: Crime and Punishment

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - A horrified mum missed her own daughter's
christening and was arrested as a baby trafficker after a blunder by budget
airline Ryanair, it was claimed today.

Rachelle Murphy was interrogated for hours by armed Italian police, who
believed she was trying to sell her baby daughter Aria.

She was then deported from Rome, where the christening was to be held,
because baby Aria didn't have a passport.

And when she arrived back at Stansted more than eight hours later Rachelle
was then held by British police as a suspected baby snatcher.

Desperate Rachelle then bought more tickets after being assured by Ryanair
staff that she could travel with Aria if she produced a birth certificate,
but when she arrived for check in they refused to allow her to board.

Now the budget airline have refused to refund the £800 she paid for the
tickets or the £400 cost of cancelling the christening in husband Massimo
Guglielmi's home town.

Angry Rachelle, 32, of Bethnal Green, said: "I arrived at the Ryanair desk
at Stansted Airport last Monday with my mother and daughter. My husband was
already in Rome.

"We asked the staff there if we had the correct papers to travel and they
assured me that my daughter who was only three weeks old could fly on my
passport.

"That was it as far as checking my passport was concerned and the next thing
we knew we were landing in Rome.

"The minute I arrived at the desk in Rome Airport I was ordered into a back
room and half a dozen Italian policemen arrived with two immigration
officers.

"It was horrendous. I was treated like a criminal for several hours while
they interrogated me.

"They accused me of stealing my own daughter and then went as far as to say
I was going to sell her.

"You cannot imagine what it felt like. They asked the questions in Italian
and I could not understand what they were saying.

"I was terrified the Italians are not known for doing anything quietly. The
stress made it impossible for me to breast-feed my baby even though she was
very hungry.

"They then told me I would be deported and arrested once I got back in
England.

"I had landed in Rome at 4pm and did not board a return flight until 1am. I
was tired and scared and Aria was cold because of the stress I was in. You
cannot treat a mother and child in this way."

Australian-born Rachelle added: "When we finally landed in England I was met
by the police who again took me into questioning. Luckily when I had proved
who I was they let me go.

"I called Ryanair time and time again. When I finally got through they told
me to write an email as they would not listen to a complaint over the phone.

"They also said I had no chance of a refund as they just do not do them even
though it was their fault.

"When I phoned back to book flights again with Aria's birth certificate they
again said this would be fine after I explained what had happened they
promised it would not happen again.

"I thought we might save the christening but again when we arrived at Luton
Airport on Sunday morning they said I needed a passport for Aria at the
Ryanair desk.

"This is absolutely disgusting I feel we are the victims of heartless
uninformed fools who could not care less about the customer.

"I have spent over £800 on the flights and on top of that we have spent over
£400 on car hire and the christening itself.

"The whole experience has cost a fortune left me tired and stressed and
really shown the true colours of Ryanair.

"We will try again to get a refund but they have already made it clear they
are not interested in discussing it."

Ryanair confirmed they have mounted an invetigation in to the incident which
happened on February 8, but refused to comment further.

A Ryanair spokeswoman said: "We will be looking into this matter and
carrying out a full investigation. Until we have further information, I am u
nable to comment."
Copyright © 2006 National News +44(0)207 684 3000