Three siblings rescued from house of horrors after ‘COVID syndrome’ parents kept them locked inside since 2021

Three children were rescued from a horrifying situation in Spain, where they were kept locked inside a house long after COVID-19 restrictions had ended. The siblings, aged 8 and 10, were finally freed from the home in Oviedo, Spain’s northwest, on Monday after being confined since 2021. According to reports from local outlet El Comercio, the children, who are German, were found wearing face masks and had not been allowed to leave the house for years.

Upon their rescue, the children were seen taking deep breaths as if they had never experienced the outdoors before. Photos published by Spanish media showed the kids emerging from the house with a sense of wonder, touching the grass for the first time in a long time. The parents, a 48-year-old German-American woman and her 53-year-old German husband, were arrested on charges of 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 several years.

Neighbors had become concerned when they noticed that the children were not attending school, prompting the authorities to investigate the situation. Upon entering the home, investigators found the children in poor condition, dirty, and completely isolated from the outside world. While they were not malnourished, they were clearly neglected and deprived of normal childhood experiences.

The children’s reaction to being outside for the first time in years was described as shocking, as they were amazed by even the simplest things like seeing a snail in the garden. The entire ordeal was deemed outrageous by officials, who were horrified by the extent of the children’s isolation and confinement.

This disturbing case serves as a reminder of the importance of child welfare and the need for vigilance in monitoring the well-being of vulnerable individuals. The children are now in the care of social services, where they will hopefully receive the support and care they need to recover from their traumatic experience.