In Germany, a court sentenced a woman to five years in prison for keeping her own daughter in isolation for 7 years. From the age of three to ten, the child lived in her grandparents' house — without school, doctors, or contact with the outside world.
A resident of Germany received five years in prison for keeping her daughter locked up for a long time. The girl is now 11 years old; from the age of three to ten, she was confined in her grandparents' house in the city of Attendorn. She was not allowed to go to school or see a doctor — she did not learn her letters, did not play with other children, and did not even know what a street was.
The mother isolated the child to prevent the father from seeing her. She deliberately concocted a story that she had gone to Italy with her daughter. The grandparents told neighbors that the girl was in another country or remained silent when someone asked about her.
In September 2022, law enforcement found the child. By that time, the girl had serious problems. Due to the long isolation, she could not speak properly, walk, or understand simple things. "The girl's family was part of the local community," said a resident of Attendorn to the ARD television company, adding that "it's incredible that no one noticed this."
According to ARD, the mother attempted suicide at the beginning of the trial. The hearings were postponed several times — the case was complicated and took several years to resolve. Ultimately, not only the mother was punished. The grandmother received a two-year suspended sentence, and the grandfather also received a suspended sentence. They were recognized as accomplices.
The tragedy unfolded over the years in plain sight of those around — and this raises questions about the cost of indifference and society's responsibility for the most defenseless, writes bb.lv.
