Dead children's parents were going through divorce courts

THE parents of three children found dead in their home after reports of an explosion were locked in divorce proceedings, it was revealed today.

• From left to right - Augustino, Cecilia, and Gianluca Riggi

Twin boys Augustino and Gianluca Riggi, eight, and Cecilia Riggi, five, were discovered at the modern townhouse in Edinburgh's Slateford Road yesterday.

Their deaths are being treated as suspicious.

Lothian and Borders Police are waiting to speak to their mother, Theresa Riggi, who is receiving treatment at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Mrs Riggi and her children had been reported missing from their home in Skene, Aberdeenshire, last month but were later found safe and well in Edinburgh.

The children's father, Pasquale Riggi, 46, has been interviewed by police but is not a suspect.

It was confirmed today that Mrs Riggi and her husband were involved in an "active" divorce case, brought by Mr Riggi.

They were due in court tomorrow for a further hearing.

A spokeswoman for the Judicial Communications Office in Scotland said today: "There is an active case for divorce that Pasquale is pursuing."

She said a "proof" hearing was set down for October 18 next year, but added that the case involved a number of motions and court hearings.

She added: "They were due in court tomorrow, August 6, before Lady Clark at the Court of Session."

Mrs Riggi, of Mosslea Cottage, Skene, Westhill, and her children were reported missing to Grampian Police on July 11.

The Press and Journal reported today that, two days later, a judge made an order to prevent the youngsters being taken out of the country.

The family are understood to originally be from the US and still have relatives across the Atlantic.

Mrs Riggi and the children were subsequently traced in Edinburgh on July 21.

It is understood that Mrs Riggi failed to turn up for a scheduled hearing at the Court of Session in the Scottish capital on Tuesday, having apparently gone missing again.

At that hearing, a judge ordered her to appear in court to disclose the whereabouts of the youngsters.

Lady Clark also ordered the court's Messengers at Arms to search for Mrs Riggi, with social services instructed to supervise the children once found and to apply to a local sheriff in relation to their protection if they thought it necessary.

A "detailed and protracted" forensic examination of the Edinburgh home is being carried out, police said.

A major inquiry team has been set up at Corstorphine Police Station, and officers said they would be talking to local residents and retrieving CCTV footage from the area.

Detective Superintendent Allan Jones said it was too early to determine the children's cause of death.

He said: "First and foremost our thoughts are with the children's family, and we are doing what we can to support them at this tragic time.

"The woman and children had been traced to the address in Slateford Road last month after they had been reported missing from their home in the Aberdeen area.

"It was the first knowledge of the family in the Edinburgh area and they were safe and well at that time.

"The family had been in the city for a few weeks and we are keen to speak to anyone who knew them during that time.

"Anyone who knew the detail of their movements and of their lifestyle here is asked to get in touch with us. This is a bit of a dark area for us at the moment and we are keen to shed some light on it."

Det Supt Jones added: "We are not in a position to speak to the woman yet and we will take advice from her doctors as to when that can happen.

"We would like to do that to get a true background to the events of yesterday and find out exactly what happened within the house."

A police cordon remained outside the property in the west of Edinburgh today.

The children's father has worked for oil firm Shell since 1987. He has been in Aberdeen for a number of years and in the country for 13 years, police said.

They said he was in Aberdeen at the time of the incident and was now helping officers with their inquiries.

In a statement, Shell said: "This is obviously a human tragedy of proportions that most of us find hard to comprehend and our thoughts are with Pasquale and his family.

"Shell will continue to provide Pasquale with support.

"We would urge that he is left alone to deal with his great personal loss."

A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out on the children today.

Floral tributes were left close to the scene.

One card attached to a bunch of flowers and a yellow teddy bear simply said "With sympathy".

Another note, attached to a small grey teddy bear, said: "To the little ones lost so tragically. There are now three more stars in the sky. I hope the angels are taking care of you."

Mr Jones said police officers broke the news to Mr Riggi.

He said: "He's heartbroken but he's very composed. He realises he holds a lot of central information that we need. We're conscious of the trauma he's gone through."

He said the Riggis came from California and Colorado – although he did not confirm who came from which US state.

Police believe Mrs Riggi and her three children had been in Edinburgh for about two and a half weeks prior to yesterday's tragedy.

The detective added: "Officers attended the address and found the family safe and well on July 21.

"This is the area we're looking at – it's a dark area in the sense there's a lot of unknowns at present.

"They seem to have been leading quite a cosseted life here. Our wider appeal is to anyone who has met them and seen them and feel it's in any way significant to come forward. It seems as though they've had a very quiet lifestyle."

He described the children's injuries as "suspicious" and said he expected post-mortem examinations to be carried out "very shortly".

He also said it was "too early" to say whether it was a murder investigation.

The children's mother remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital, where she is sedated, so police have not yet been able to speak to her.