Father hurls baby into river in custody dispute

ROME -- An Italian man threw his 16-month-old son off a bridge into a river in Rome today in a fit of rage following a custody dispute, and was arrested by police as he fled.

The 26-year-old father admitted to police that he had thrown his son into the freezing waters of the Tiber river after arguing with the infant's mother.

He was caught in the act by a passing prison officer, who said the father was distraught and yelled out before throwing the child over the edge.

The unemployed man, who has a criminal record for drug dealing, tried to flee the scene but was detained shortly afterward by police, reports said.

Divers from the fire brigade searched the river for the child but their efforts were hampered by strong currents and poor weather conditions.

"We're still searching, we'll search for as long as we can, but the snowfall and rain we've had these past few days has swelled the river, making it very difficult indeed," a spokeswoman for Rome's fire brigade service told AFP.

Rome's deputy mayor, Sveva Belvisio, said the tragedy was "an appalling story which causes anguish and astonishment. It was an act of extreme cruelty."

She called for an "immediate and exemplary sentence" for the father.