Luebbenow (Germany), July 29 (DPA) A 13-year old girl, believed to have been imprisoned for up to nine years, was rescued from her parents’ house in the eastern German town of Luebbenow, authorities said Wednesday.
The girl, who never attended school, suffered from mental disability and was physically harmed, chief prosecutor Juergen Schiermeyer told DPA.
It was not yet clear to what extent this was caused by the parents’ behaviour, the prosecutor added.
“There was no shed the girl had to live in, and no locked doors,” Schiermeyer said, but added that she was in a “neglected” condition.
The girl is currently undergoing medical examination in hospital.
Her parents are under investigation for parental neglect, and are thought to have endangered their daughter’s health, Schiermeyer said.
They had not permitted social interaction, although it was unclear whether the child was kept permanently indoors, the lawyer added.
Social services took charge of the girl July 15 and brought her to a clinic after a neighbour reported the case, a regional government spokeswoman said.
The girl appears to have been kept isolated since her parents moved nine years ago to the small town of Luebbenow, 100 km north of Berlin. People in the town knew however that she lived in the house, Schiermeyer said.
The girl has two siblings, who are also being looked after by the local youth services.
The education ministry of the state of Brandenburg is also investigating how the parents could avoid sending the girl to school.
