The adoption of the child, known as Child P, has been made public by president of the family division of the High Court Sir James Munby due to the high-profile nature of the case.
The case attracted global media attention last year after it emerged that the child’s mother Alessandra Pacchieri, who was visiting the UK from Italy, had been given a forced caesarean while being treated under the Mental Health Act.
Munby has now confirmed that the child was adopted on 1 April.
British Association for Adoption and Fostering director of policy, research and development John Simmonds said the case’s global media attention, mental health issues and the mother being a non-UK resident put it “at the height of complexity”.
He added: “Trying to deal with those issues across national boundaries is incredibly complex.”
He said that for such cases involving a birth parent with a mental health issue “the test is always to secure the best outcome for the long-term future of the child".
"Will there be significant harm to the child and will the parent be able to care for them long-term?”
Simmonds added it is important to ensure the birth parent has an independent advocate to “support them and help them understand the significance of the issues being made.”
In his statement Sir James Munby said the case “is the final chapter in the litigation relating to Alessandra Pacchieri”.
He said the adopted parents, who the child was placed with last November by Essex County Council, “are good and loving people,” adding “they are admirably equipped to meet P’s needs now and into the future".
"P is obviously thriving in their care and doing very well.”
He also detailed correspondence between Essex’s children’s services and Pacchieri, including requests for her to attend the adoption hearing.
Pacchieri said early in March that she was unable to attend and on 28 March sent an email to Essex children’s services saying: “I wish for my daughter the best. Me personally I am trying to forget this bad experience I had in England. I love my daughter with all my heart and I pray to see her one day again.”
Adoption UK’s director of services, Pippa Donovan, said the decision to remove a child from a birth family is done on a case-by-case basis.
“The best interests of the child are always at the centre of the decision making,” she said.
“Adoption UK believes that adoption can offer positive outcomes to vulnerable children and that support for everybody involved in the adoption process is vital to give children who have had a difficult start in life the best possible chance of a brighter future.”
