German Couple Sentenced in Spain for 'Horror House' Child Abuse
A Spanish court in Oviedo sentenced a German couple to nearly three years in prison for psychologically abusing and neglecting their three children. The parents confined the minors in a squalid, trash-filled home for over three years, citing irrational fears of COVID-19 infection. Although prosecutors sought 25-year sentences for unlawful detention, the court acquitted them of this charge, convicting them instead of family abandonment and psychological violence. The couple must pay compensation and is banned from contacting the children, who remain under state care.
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German Couple Sentenced for Child Neglect in Spain 'Horror House'
A German couple has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison by a court in Oviedo, Spain, for severe child neglect and psychological violence. The parents confined their three young children in a squalid, garbage-filled house for three and a half years, isolating them from the outside world under the pretext of protecting them from diseases like COVID-19. Police discovered the children in April 2025 after a neighbor's tip, finding them malnourished, unable to read or write, and living in excrement. While prosecutors sought over 25 years for deprivation of liberty, the court acquitted the couple of this specific charge, convicting them instead on lesser counts. The defense argued the case should have been handled socially rather than criminally. The children, now under the care of Asturian social authorities, face potential adoption as no suitable relatives are available. This verdict concludes a shocking case that local authorities described as unprecedented in the region, highlighting extreme parental control and abuse.
Nachrichten - WELTSpanish Parents Jailed for Locking Children in 'Horror House' During Pandemic
A Spanish court has sentenced a German couple to two years and ten months in prison for child abuse after keeping their three children locked inside their home in Oviedo for over three years. The case, dubbed the 'Oviedo Horror House,' involved the isolation of two nine-year-old twins and an eleven-year-old boy from December 2021 to April 2025. The parents enforced a self-imposed lockdown driven by irrational fears of disease contagion, despite medical reports confirming the children were healthy. Upon rescue, authorities found the children unable to read or write, wearing diapers, and living amidst trash and feces. They had been administered various medications, including cannabis, for alleged conditions. While acquitted of unlawful detention, the parents were convicted of habitual psychological abuse and family abandonment. In addition to prison time, they are barred from parental authority for over three years and prohibited from contacting minors. The defense argued the situation was merely 'voluntary isolation,' but prosecutors highlighted the severe neglect and denial of basic rights. The children are now under the custody of local protection services.
Breitbart NewsUS-German Couple Jailed in Spain for Locking Children at Home
A US-German couple has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison by a Spanish court for keeping their three children confined to their home for over three and a half years. The parents, who developed a fear of the outside world following the Covid-19 pandemic, were found guilty of family abandonment and causing psychological harm to their children, aged nine and eleven. Although prosecutors had sought a 25-year sentence for unlawful detention, the court cleared them of this more severe charge. In addition to the jail term, the couple was ordered to pay 30,000 euros in compensation to each child and lost custody for at least three years and four months. Police arrested the pair in April 2025 after discovering the children were living in inadequate sanitary conditions in Oviedo and were not attending school. The defense attorney claimed the children were homeschooled and well-fed, stating the parents were moderately satisfied with the verdict but are considering an appeal. The identities of the parents remain undisclosed to protect the minors.
The Independent WorldGerman Parents Sentenced in Spain's 'Horror House' Child Abuse Case
A court in Oviedo, Spain, has sentenced a German couple to two years and ten months in prison for locking their three children in a dilapidated home for nearly four years. The parents were convicted of repeated psychological violence and neglect but acquitted of deprivation of liberty, resulting in a significantly lenient verdict compared to the prosecutor's demand of over twenty-five years. Each parent must pay 30,000 euros in compensation per child and is banned from contacting them or approaching within 300 meters for over three years. The children, aged eight and ten at the time of rescue in April 2025, lived in squalid conditions without schooling, medical care, or outside contact due to the parents' irrational fear of COVID-19 infection. They were found illiterate, malnourished, and living amidst waste and animal feces. The case came to light after a neighbor reported hearing children's voices, leading police to intervene during a power outage. The children currently reside in a sheltered facility as no relatives could take them in. The verdict emphasizes the severe psychological impact on the victims while highlighting the legal complexities regarding the specific charges brought against the parents.
Aktuell - FAZ.NETU.S.-German Couple Jailed in Spain for Confining Children Post-Pandemic
A U.S.-German couple has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison by a Spanish court for keeping their three children locked inside their home for three and a half years. The confinement, which occurred on the outskirts of Oviedo, northern Spain, was driven by the parents' developing fear of the outside world following the COVID-19 pandemic. While prosecutors had sought 25-year sentences, the court found the parents guilty of family abandonment and causing psychological harm, but acquitted them of the more severe charge of unlawful detention. In addition to the prison terms, the parents were ordered to pay 30,000 euros in compensation to each child and were stripped of custody for at least three years and four months. Police arrested the couple in April 2025 after discovering the children, aged nine and eleven, were living in inadequate sanitary conditions and not attending school. The defense argued the children were homeschooled and well-fed. The parents, whose identities remain protected, have expressed moderate satisfaction with the ruling but are considering an appeal.
The Straits Times World NewsGerman Parents Sentenced in Spain for Child Abuse in 'Horror House' Case
A German couple has been sentenced to two years and ten months in prison by a provincial court in Oviedo, Spain, for psychological violence and neglect against their three children. The case, widely referred to as the 'Horror House' trial, involved the parents isolating their children—then aged eight and ten—in a trash-filled home for three and a half years. While prosecutors had sought sentences exceeding twenty-five years for deprivation of liberty, the court acquitted the couple of this more serious charge. In addition to the prison term, the parents are banned from exercising parental responsibility or contacting the minors for three years and four months, with a strict 300-meter proximity restriction. They must also pay 30,000 euros in compensation per child. The defendants claimed their actions were intended to protect the children from infectious diseases like Corona, but authorities described the living conditions as horrific. The children were rescued in April 2025 after a neighbor alerted police. This verdict concludes a high-profile legal proceeding that highlighted severe child welfare violations within an expatriate family in northern Spain.
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