The home where the children were being held
What is COVID syndrome?
Sometimes referred to as COVID anxiety syndrome (CAS), this mental condition causes extreme fear surrounding infection.
VeryWellMind explains symptoms include repeated symptom-checking, avoiding social settings, compulsive cleaning, and controlling actions.
The children were made to sleep in cots (Police handout)
What have investigators revealed?
Oviedo’s Police Chief Javier Lozano described the home as a ‘nightmare house’ at a press event. One officer told El Mundo: “Their condition was shocking. Not starved, but filthy… totally disconnected from the world, especially because they weren’t in school.”
They had been sleeping in cots (Police handout)
He continued: “When we brought them outside to the garden — which they had never stepped into — they spotted a snail and panicked in amazement.”
What did officers uncover inside?
Inside the home, investigators found the children’s beds were cots marked with disturbing monster drawings.
The residence was cluttered with trash, numerous pills, and discarded face masks, creating a visibly hazardous environment.
As the children, born to German parents, didn’t speak Spanish, police had to communicate with them in English due to their isolation from education.
If this topic affects you or someone you know, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453) is available 24/7 across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
