Spain: A German couple is accused of keeping their children in chains for three years in a "house of horrors"

A German couple, consisting of a 54-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman, is being tried in Spain for psychological abuse, deprivation of liberty, and neglect, after allegedly keeping their three children locked up for three and a half years in a home filled with garbage, referred to by investigators as the "house of horrors."

The trial began on Tuesday at the court in Oviedo, with closed doors to protect the identity of the children, 8-year-old twins and a 10-year-old boy, who were released in April 2025 after a neighbor alerted the police. The prosecutor is seeking a sentence of 25 years and four months for the parents, who claim they isolated the children to protect them from diseases such as COVID-19. The hearings will last two days, and the verdict will be announced later.