Spanish authorities have arrested a couple on allegations of child abuse after uncovering what has been described as a "house of horrors" in Oviedo, the capital city of Asturias in northern Spain. The disturbing discovery was made when police raided the property and found three young boys who had reportedly lived there alone for four years.
The children, two eight-year-old twins and their ten-year-old brother, had been confined to the house since around 2021, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators found the home in extremely squalid conditions, with vast amounts of rubbish, piles of accumulated medicines, and surfaces covered in filthy pet excrement. The family cat was also reportedly suffering from a large tumour.
Authorities revealed that the boys had been kept out of school and were forbidden from leaving the house. They were found wearing nappies and had been made to sleep in caged beds. The doors and windows of the property were locked and often kept shut, and the children were not permitted to access the garden. Upon their release, police recounted how one child knelt on the grass outside, touching it with amazement, highlighting the prolonged isolation they had endured.
Neighbours had not noticed the children due to the house's concealed conditions. The investigation began on 14 April after a local resident reported hearing voices of children from inside the home despite never seeing them leave to play or attend school. Surveillance revealed movement inside the house and considerable food deliveries, confirming multiple occupants.
During the police raid, the children were found barefoot and still sleeping in cribs. They had no shoes of their own size, indicating a lack of basic care over several years. The father, a 58-year-old German national, answered the door but asked police to wait for the children to put on masks before allowing entry. The children were observed wearing three face masks each, which the mother, a 48-year-old American, insisted was to protect them due to medical conditions. The mother repeatedly warned officers not to approach the children, claiming they had serious health issues.
Francisco Javier Lozano, the chief commissioner of the Local Police of Oviedo, described the operation in a press conference, stating, "We have dismantled the house of horrors." The couple were arrested at 2.45pm on the Monday following the raid and are being held in custody without bail while investigations continue. The motivation behind the parents' decision to keep the children in such conditions remains unclear.
The boys mainly speak English and, after receiving medical evaluations at the Central University Hospital of Asturias, have been placed under the guardianship of the Government of the Principality of Asturias. Authorities have not ruled out charging the parents with habitual abuse, neglect of minors, and violations of fundamental rights.
The initial search of the property was further complicated by a power outage affecting the area at the time of the raid. The police's discovery has drawn significant attention due to the severity of the living conditions and the prolonged captivity of the children. The Daily Mail is reporting these developments as investigations into the case continue.
Source: Noah Wire Services