Family say threat of losing kids was too much for mum

Relatives in the US also revealed that they only learned of Wednesday's tragedy in Slateford over the internet and told how they fear Mrs Riggi had snapped under the pressure of a bitter divorce battle.

Mrs Riggi, 46, today remained in a stable condition in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after leaping from a second-floor balcony, and police hope to question her for the first time this afternoon.

Her mother, Patricia Butimore told how the fear of losing the children may have been too much for her daughter.

The 81-year-old, who lives in California, said: "Theresa didn't want to lose custody of the children.

"I thought she was handling the pressure okay. But I think what happened was triggered by the warrant on Tuesday."

She admitted that her daughter's divorce had not been easy, adding: "There were disagreements. But Theresa was an excellent mother and was home-schooling the children. She was a perfectly capable mum."

Post-mortem examinations were due to be carried out today on eight-year-old twins Augustino and Gianluca Riggi and their sister Cecilia who had been due to celebrate her sixth birthday on Monday. Sources have said they were found with stab wounds.

Mrs Riggi confided in her older sister Kathleen Bryant about her ongoing divorce problems in the middle of last week. She and her husband Pasquale were due back in court in Edinburgh today for a hearing.

Mrs Bryant, who lives in Bakersfield, California, where Mrs Riggi grew up in a close-knit family, was left like other relatives to discover the horror online.

She said: "I still don't know exactly what has happened. It's heartbreaking because we are all in the US and I cannot do anything. We feel helpless.

"They were wonderful children and we are all in shock over this.

"We just need right now to find out how she is. We don't know anything about the incident."

Mrs Bryant, who said she had even spoken to police in Scotland as part of efforts to persuade Mrs Riggi to return the children to her husband, added: "It was a bad divorce and they were not agreeing on things, but it is heartbreaking that it has come to this. The kids are victims of this whole case. It is very sad. I need to talk to someone in authority about what has happened."

Mrs Riggi had enjoyed a happy family upbringing despite the death of one of her three brothers, Michael. Her father William, who died in 2005, was married to Mrs Riggi's mother Patricia for 57 years.

Mrs Riggi, who researched her family history on a genealogy website in 2002, remained close to her father after settling at Mosslea Cottage in rural Skene, Aberdeenshire, where she home-schooled the children with the blessing of Aberdeenshire Council. Home-schooling is one of the issues which had caused tension between her and her husband.

Before the split, Mrs Riggi and husband appeared like any other normal family. They had moved to Zevenhuizen, near The Hague, in the 1990s through Colorado-born Mr Riggi's work in the oil industry.

The couple came to Britain 13 years ago, where Mr Riggi worked for Shell in Aberdeen.

Mr Riggi is believed to have moved out of the family home around a year ago.

The heartbroken grandparents of the children were today comforting each other.

Mr Riggi's parents Silvia, 69, and Mario Riggi, 76, are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

Speaking from her home in Lakewood, Colorado, Mrs Riggi said: "We probably know the least. It's all in the newspapers in the UK.

"We do not have anything to say."

Police said that investigations at the scene of the three suspicious deaths were "progressing to a significant degree". Detective Superintendent Allan Jones said it was too early to determine the children's cause of death and a murder investigation had not yet been launched.

COUNTDOWN TO HORROR

July 4: Theresa Riggi and her three children reported missing from Aberdeen area.

July 13: Lord Malcolm issues a court order banning Mrs Riggi from taking her children abroad.

July 16: Grampian Police issue a missing persons appeal over the family.

July 21: Lothian and Borders trace the family to the townhouse in Slateford Road.

Tuesday: Lady Clarke issues a court order that Mrs Riggi and the children be traced. Social workers become involved.

Wednesday, 3pm: Police are called to Slateford Road. Mrs Riggi is found injured in the street, and her three children are found dead in the home.

3.05pm: Children and Families department receive fax of court ruling.

Yesterday: Forensic examinations continue at the scene, and the children's bodies are removed for postmortem.