Body of Loris to be released for burial

(ANSA) - Ragusa, December 16 - The body of eight-year-old murder victim Loris Stival will be released to the family on Wednesday for burial, a local prosecutor said on Tuesday. The announcement came after a medical examiner completed an autopsy of the boy, whose body was found in a canal four kilometers from his home in the southern Sicilian town of Santa Croce Camerina on November 29.
    The funeral could be held on Thursday or Friday. The boy's mother, 26-year-old Veronica Panarello, is the main suspect in the case although on Tuesday investigators said they were considering the possibility of an accomplice.
    Panarello was detained last Tuesday on charges of murder and concealing the body following extensive questioning after several inconsistencies in her story emerged.
    She continues to state her innocence.
    Meanwhile, Loris' father Davide Stival on Tuesday asked the media to respect the privacy of the family - particularly during the child's funeral. "We want to be left in peace," he said through his lawyer.