Spanish authorities have arrested a German couple accused of keeping their three children in captivity for over three years in what Spanish media have described as a “house of horrors” in the northwestern region of Asturias.
During a press conference, police said the children—eight-year-old twins and a ten-year-old boy—had been subjected to neglect, deprived of proper education, and forced to live in unsanitary conditions “surrounded by garbage,” according to Spanish media reports.
The case came to light earlier this month after resident alerted authorities about suspicious activity at the home. Police investigations revealed that more people were living there than were officially registered, including children who were not enrolled in any school.
One of the key clues was the unusually high volume of packages delivered to the property, which had reportedly been occupied without interruption since it was rented in October 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have all been affected by the COVID syndrome,” said Police Commissioner Francisco Javier Lozano Garcia. “We can speculate on the psychological factors that may have contributed to the family’s prolonged isolation.”
Authorities also discovered a large quantity of medications stored inside the home. When police entered the premises, they found the children wearing diapers and triple-layered surgical masks. According to reports, the father insisted that officers wear masks before beginning their search.
“The mask-wearing could be a small detail—or it could have deeper significance,” Lozano Garcia commented.
Spanish newspaper La Razón described the home as foul-smelling, with the curtains drawn shut at all times. When the children were finally brought outside, they reportedly touched the grass with wonder, “as if it was their first time experiencing the outdoors.”
The children were promptly examined by medical professionals and placed in the care of a child welfare center.
The couple was arrested in Oviedo on Monday. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine how the family ended up in Spain and the circumstances that led to the children’s alleged confinement.
