Maria Rita Parsi, an internationally acclaimed psychologist and psychotherapist who was a key figure in Italy and abroad for the protection of children and adolescents, died at the age of 78. She was born in Rome on August 5, 1947, and dedicated her whole life to protecting children's rights through clinical practice, scientific research, institutional dedication, and outreach. A lecturer, psychopedagogist, and psychotherapist, Parsi developed a broad and multifaceted professional career. She also delved into television writing in the 1980s, contributing to the 1986 series "Professione vacanze". However, her most significant contribution is psychoanimation, a methodology she developed and applied in psychology, education, and therapy. This approach is oriented toward the development of human potential through a humanistic perspective. In light of this, she founded the Italian School of Psychoanimation (SIPA). In 1992, she formed the non-profit organization "Movimento per, con e dei bambini," which evolved into the Fondazione Movimento Bambino Onlus in 2005. Under her leadership, it has established itself as a premier center for the promotion of childhood and adolescent culture, with activities targeted at preventing abuse, combatting mistreatment, and improving minors' legal and social protection. In addition to her clinical and educational responsibilities, Parsi was actively engaged in educational outreach, serving as an expert on numerous television programs and hosting programs such as Junior TV. She was a consistent contributor to numerous national newspapers, including Il Messaggero, Il Giorno, Il Resto del Carlino, La Nazione, Oggi, Donna Moderna, Starbene, and Riza Psicosomatica. She was a freelance journalist and member of the Lazio Order of Journalists since 1995. Her institutional commitment is likewise substantial. She had been a member of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies' Child Guarantee working group since 2021, and she worked as an expert at the Department of Family Policies' Observatory for Childhood and Adolescence since 2020. In 2012, she was elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, in Geneva. At the national level, she served in a variety of positions, such as technical consultant to the Civil Court of Rome, member of organizations against child sexual abuse, consultant to the Parliamentary Commission for Children, and member of advertising and television self-regulation committees. She is the author of over one hundred works, including scholarly studies, popular science texts, and fiction, and received various medals and honors, including the title of Knight of Merit of the Republic. With her passing, a long season of civil and cultural commitment in defense of the rights of children and adolescents comes to an end.