A 42-year-old Polish woman has been found ‘days away from death’ after she was allegedly kept locked in her room by her parents for 27 years.
The victim, named only as Mirrella, was last seen in public in 1998 when she was 15 in the city of Świętochłowice in southern Poland.
It is claimed that her parents had told neighbours that the teenager had gone missing, but after nearly three decades, the emaciated woman was discovered by cops.
Police had been called to an apartment block back in July after neighbours reported hearing a disturbance.
Deputy Inspector Anna Hryniak told Polish newspaper Fakt that the landlady, 82, denied there being any altercation.
Cops then spoke to Mirrella, who assured them that everything was fine, but police quickly noticed injuries on her legs and decided to call an ambulance.
Although the woman was found over the summer, it has only now been reported after locals decided to start a fundraiser to help Mirrella.
One of the organisers posted on social media: ‘Doctors determined that she was only days away from death due to infection.
‘She has been in hospital for two months now due to her critical condition.
‘People who knew Mirella thought she left her “family” home almost 30 years ago.
‘Unfortunately, the truth turned out to be different.
‘Much remains unknown, and several facts cannot be revealed at this stage. One thing is certain: the truth must come to light as to why this young, healthy 15-year-old stopped leaving her home and disappeared without a trace.
‘It is unimaginable to spend so much time in one room.
‘She herself says that she has never even seen her city develop, that it is behind in everything, that she has missed out on so many things, she has never been to a doctor, never obtained an ID card, never gone for a simple walk or even to the balcony…
‘She’s never been to a dentist or a hairdresser.
‘Her hair and teeth are in critical condition, even threatening her health, so visits to a private clinic are now necessary.’
Prosecutor Agnieszka Kwatera confirmed that an investigation has been opened.
The shocking case comes after a six-year-old girl who was kept locked inside her room her whole life was rescued last week by Brazilian police.
The child, who was found in a state of neglect, was removed from her parents’ care after cops received an anonymous tip about her welfare, Brazilian news outlet Universo Online reports.
She never attended school, had not received any vaccinations and didn’t know how to speak, prompting authorities to rescue her from her family home in the city of Sorocaba in Sao Paulo state.
Speaking about the state the six-year-old was found in, child protection counsellors Ligia Guerra said: ‘The girl was very apathetic and dazzled by everything.’
She added that the child’s hair was ‘tangled’ and looked ‘as if it had never been washed’.
According to Guerra, the girl had not eaten anything that day, with police confirming she only ate liquids.
She is also said to have communicated with counsellors and police officers through sounds.
After being removed from her parents’ care, the six-year-old was sent to hospital to undergo a medical examination and was afterwards put into a children’s home.
