House confinement of children ongoing since 2021 by the couple.
Updated Article:
A disheartening ordeal unfolded in the town of Oviedo, Spain, where authorities detained a German-American couple for keeping their three kids, two eight-year-old twins and a ten-year-old, confined indoors since 2021. The children, who were deprived of attending school, lived amid filth, dozed in cots, and wore diapers.
The minors were discovered in a rural house in Oviedo, where they'd been enduring squalid conditions for years, as El País reported on Tuesday.
Their father, a 53-year-old man, and their mother, a 48-year-old woman with German nationality, were detained.
The probe commenced on April 14 once a neighbor informed authorities that they heard children's voices but never witnessed them leaving the house. Over several days of surveillance, cops verified that the door, owned by the man, only opened to receive food from supermarkets.
Following a meeting with the Juvenile Court, an entry order was issued and executed on Monday during the evening twilight. Seven Oviedo police officers, social workers from the town, and a German translator were present.
One officer shared with La Nueva España that the man "opened the property door and confirmed there were minors inside."
"He allowed us in, but asked us to wait for the children to put on their masks. They were extremely timid and clung to the mother, who kept insisting that the children suffered from severe ailments and that we should keep our distance. They were highly disconnected from reality. One child touched the grass, surprised. As soon as we removed them, the three began breathing deeply, as if they had never experienced fresh air," he recounted.
The head of the Oviedo local police, Francisco Javier Lozano, succinctly summarized the operation: "We dismantled the house of horrors."
The case has been handed over to the Civil Guard.
For additional insights, read: Tragedy Strikes Spain: At Least Five Perish During the Blackout Incident
- The general-news article confirmed that the world was shocked by the detainment of a German-American couple in Oviedo, Spain, for keeping their children detained indoors since 2021.
- In the crime-and-justice sector, the couple's children, who lived in squalid conditions, were found during a police operation on Monday evening.
- Although the children were initially timid and disconnected from reality, they breathed deeply and seemed surprised when exposed to fresh air, as science and health-and-wellness experts would affirm the importance of proper upbringing and exposure to the world.
- Mental-health professionals are now working to help the children recover from their isolation, as the ordeal they experienced may have long-lasting effects on their mental health.
- Meanwhile, the case is now under the jurisdiction of the Civil Guard, with ongoing investigations and measures to ensure the welfare and education of the three children, just as authorities strive to uphold the rights and well-being of all children around the globe.
