Mum charged with murdering children to face court

A MUM charged with murdering her three children is due to make her first appearance in court next week.

Theresa Riggi, 46, was arrested last month following the deaths of her eight-year-old twins Augustino and Gianluca, known as Austin and Luca, and their five-year-old sister Cecilia.

She was detained in hospital after appearing before a sheriff at a hearing at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Her three young children were found dead after police were called out to a suspected gas explosion at the Slateford Road apartment on August 4.

The court made a special assessment order, detaining Mrs Riggi in hospital for up to 28 days.

But a spokeswoman for the Crown Office said: "We can confirm that a private hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh is scheduled for September 17."

Death certificates revealed the youngsters died of stab wounds.

The children's dad, Pasquale Riggi, 46, an engineer with Shell said the family were devastated over their loss but their faith in God had kept them strong.

The couple arrived in the UK 13 years ago. After living in Lowestoft on the Suffolk coast, they spent two years in the Netherlands, before moving to Aberdeen in February 2007.

The Riggis later separated and had begun divorce proceedings. Mrs Riggi left the family's home with the children at the beginning of July for Edinburgh.