After years of being trapped in a COVID lockdown house of horrors, three children have finally been rescued in Oviedo, Spain. The siblings, 8-year-old twins and a 10-year-old, were found locked inside the home since 2021, long after pandemic restrictions had ended. The children, who are German, were forced to stay inside and wear face masks, even when it was no longer necessary.
Upon their rescue, the children were seen breathing deeply as if they had never experienced the fresh air outside. Photos from the scene show the kids emerging from the home, still wearing face masks. It was reported that the children seemed amazed and touched the grass as soon as they stepped outside.
The parents of the children, a 48-year-old German-American woman, and her 53-year-old German husband, were arrested and charged with domestic violence and child abandonment. Investigators revealed that the parents were suffering from what they referred to as “COVID syndrome,” which led them to impose strict lockdown conditions on the entire family for years.
Neighbors became suspicious when they noticed that the children were not attending school, prompting authorities to investigate. Upon entering the home, investigators were shocked by the condition of the children. While they were not malnourished, they were dirty and completely cut off from reality.
One investigator described the scene, stating, “When we took them out of the house, into the garden, where they wouldn’t even go outside, they saw a snail and went crazy, freaked out.” The children had been living in isolation for so long that even a simple encounter with nature was a new and overwhelming experience for them.
The children are now safe and receiving the care and support they need. This harrowing incident serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in protecting the well-being of children, especially in times of crisis.