[poppy]

I just read about it on an Italian newspaper site, the police filmed three performances before arresting the family that an the circus.
The girls father was put to work as a labourer at the circus, and the mother worked a the cook. The mother managed to escape once but was found brought back and beaten, they starved them foe days when they first arrived, and then only let then eat scrap.
The girl who was put in with the snakes was bitten but not allowed to see a doctor.
Circus folk have a very bad rep in Italy, you can see why.