In Spain, three young German siblings, 8-year-old twins and a 10-year-old, were rescued after being locked inside their home for nearly three years. Authorities stepped in after neighbors in Oviedo, northwest Spain, became concerned that the children had not been seen going to school or outside for a very long time.

The children’s parents, a 53-year-old man from Germany and a 48-year-old American woman who also holds German citizenship, were taken into custody.

They now face serious charges, including domestic violence, regular psychological abuse, and child abandonment.

According to reports, the parents were suffering from what officials called “COVID Syndrome,” where they believed it was too dangerous to leave the house even after pandemic lockdowns had ended.

[Photograph - New York Post/AFP]

When the children were finally brought outside by rescuers on Monday, one official said, “As soon as we brought them out, all three kids began to breathe deeply as if they had never been outside before.”

An officer also shared with local outlet El Mundo, “The kids were in terrible condition. It was absolutely obscene. They were not starving; they had been fed. But they were also dirty and disconnected from reality. When we took them into the garden, they noticed a snail and freaked out.”

The family had rented their house in October 2021. Only the father's name was on the lease, and he was the only one seen leaving the house to pick up essentials. The children had no contact with the outside world, no schooling, and no chance to play outside.

Local media say the family lived in a self-imposed lockdown, even though COVID-19 restrictions had ended long ago.

 

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