Latest news with #ChristianSteffen
The Irish Sun
25-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Parents of twins & bro, 8 & 10, held captive in nappies in Spanish ‘House of Horrors' since Covid face 25 years in jail
THE parents of three children who were allegedly trapped in a hellish "House of Horrors" since the Covid pandemic face 25 years in prison. The three boys were found by cops after parents 7 The parents of three children held in a 'house of horrors' face 25 years in jail Credit: Solarpix 7 German-born Christian Steffen, 53 faces the charges along with his wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48 Credit: Solarpix 7 The house was full of rubbish and pet excrement Credit: Solarpix The young German boys, two eight-year-old twins and one 10-year-old, were said to have been Each of them had allegedly been forced to wear three Pictures from inside the But despite the piles of rubbish and excrement inside the house it is thought that the two parents were terrified of germs getting into their home. READ MORE WORLD NEWS Referring to the They are The prosecutor confirmed speculation that the children were "locked up due to an unfounded fear of contracting some disease" at the home in the small Asturian town of Fitoria. Authorities also demanded that the parents be barred from ever contacting their children ever again, as well as pay a £13,000 fine. Most read in The US Sun The parents have also reportedly recently filed an appeal against their pre-trial detention - but it was rejected, It was previously revealed that the Connecticut woman who allegedly held stepson captive for over 20 years pleads not guilty The female neighbour, called Silvia, handed cops a 'forensic detective' diary made up of a series of data which showed kids were being held at the Steffen's home. Silvia, who lives just 65ft away from the home, first jotted down claims that she witnessed a little girl playing in the garden. This later evolved into a slew of evidence as Silvia continued to note what she saw going on in the home. They included details of the days and times the curtains on the second floor moved and even when the blinds were opened or lowered. Notes even kept tabs on every occasion the man believed to be Christian left the house to meet delivery drivers or collected food deliveries. She said she never saw a child leave the home or playing around in the time since making the diary. Her suspicions continued to grow after she saw the amount and size of supermarket deliveries which the homeowner was receiving. 7 The children were allegedly forced to wear nappies and sleep in caged beds Credit: Solarpix 7 The boys were saved after four years in captivity Despite only one person appearing to live in the house, Silvia noted that there was enough family each time. At one point, Silvia even claims she started to hear children's voices coming from across the street. After collecting the detailed dossier, the professor handed her notes over to the cops on April 14. They started to investigate the serious accusations and soon discovered nappies were being purchased. This sparked a major search inside the property so police could see what was going on inside shortly before Police would go on to thank Silvia for noticing the peculiar shopping list as they labelled the spot as the key clue which helped them arrest the parents. A city hall source told respected Spanish daily 'The shopping list was the clue that set it all off. 'It was the list of a family, not a single person, and there was something that didn't fit at all which was the striking amount of nappies.' The source added: 'Without that neighbour, the children would almost certainly have gone undetected in that house for many more years." It was also revealed that many of the neighbours didn't even realise that the house was being lived in at all due to how secretive the dad had been. 7 A skull and cross bones drawn on the bed by one of the children Credit: Spanish Police 7 The family's house in Oviedo, northern Spain Since the arrests, cops have spoken out about the horrors inside the home as well as the treatment of the young children. Police who raided the property told local press the youngsters were made to wear nappies and told when and how many times they could use the toilet. The three boys were reportedly told they could only lower the blinds in their bedrooms at 5.10pm each day after being allowed to raise them exactly halfway up the windows during daylight hours. Prosecutors say filthy diapers were even piled up in one of the bedrooms. A shocking paediatric report on the kids later identified they were suffering from 'severe constipation', El Español reports. This is reportedly due to them only being allowed to go to the toilet at specific times. An unnamed investigator Spanish media quoted said: 'The children's parents claimed the youngsters didn't know how to control their bowel movements but the paediatric report has shown that to be false.' Police say once the children were freed one of them knelt down on the grass and 'touched it with amazement'. Oviedo Police Chief Inspector Francisco Javier Lozano said: 'We have given three children back their lives.' German freelance tech recruiter Christian and his US-born wife are both now facing 25 years and four months behind bars if found guilty. They are currently being investigated on suspicion of domestic violence, psychological mistreatment and child abandonment.
Scottish Sun
25-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Parents of twins & bro, 8 & 10, held captive in nappies in Spanish ‘House of Horrors' since Covid face 25 years in jail
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE parents of three children who were allegedly trapped in a hellish "House of Horrors" since the Covid pandemic face 25 years in prison. The three boys were found by cops after parents Christian Steffen, 53, and his wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 The parents of three children held in a 'house of horrors' face 25 years in jail Credit: Solarpix 7 German-born Christian Steffen, 53 faces the charges along with his wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48 Credit: Solarpix 7 The house was full of rubbish and pet excrement Credit: Solarpix The young German boys, two eight-year-old twins and one 10-year-old, were said to have been found in horrific conditions at the property in Spain. Each of them had allegedly been forced to wear three face masks and wear nappies - and made to sleep in caged beds, a source close to the investigation revealed. Pictures from inside the house in Oviedo showed the boys' bed frames covered in horrifying drawings while they were trapped inside blacked out rooms devoid of any sunlight. But despite the piles of rubbish and excrement inside the house it is thought that the two parents were terrified of germs getting into their home. Referring to the parents, the public prosecutor's office said it "seeks convictions for each of them totalling 25 years and 4 months in prison, among other penalties and measures". They are accused of habitual psychological violence and unlawful detention after allegedly keeping their children locked up from December 2021 to April 2025. The prosecutor confirmed speculation that the children were "locked up due to an unfounded fear of contracting some disease" at the home in the small Asturian town of Fitoria. Authorities also demanded that the parents be barred from ever contacting their children ever again, as well as pay a £13,000 fine. The parents have also reportedly recently filed an appeal against their pre-trial detention - but it was rejected, La Voz de Asturias reported. It was previously revealed that the youngsters were only saved thanks to a university professor's secret diary. Connecticut woman who allegedly held stepson captive for over 20 years pleads not guilty The female neighbour, called Silvia, handed cops a 'forensic detective' diary made up of a series of data which showed kids were being held at the Steffen's home. German-born Christian was registered as the only resident in the affluent home after he started to rent the property in October 2021. Silvia, who lives just 65ft away from the home, first jotted down claims that she witnessed a little girl playing in the garden. This later evolved into a slew of evidence as Silvia continued to note what she saw going on in the home. They included details of the days and times the curtains on the second floor moved and even when the blinds were opened or lowered. Notes even kept tabs on every occasion the man believed to be Christian left the house to meet delivery drivers or collected food deliveries. She said she never saw a child leave the home or playing around in the time since making the diary. Her suspicions continued to grow after she saw the amount and size of supermarket deliveries which the homeowner was receiving. 7 The children were allegedly forced to wear nappies and sleep in caged beds Credit: Solarpix 7 The boys were saved after four years in captivity Despite only one person appearing to live in the house, Silvia noted that there was enough food and drink to feed a whole family each time. At one point, Silvia even claims she started to hear children's voices coming from across the street. After collecting the detailed dossier, the professor handed her notes over to the cops on April 14. They started to investigate the serious accusations and soon discovered nappies were being purchased. This sparked a major search inside the property so police could see what was going on inside shortly before Spain's historic blackout. Police would go on to thank Silvia for noticing the peculiar shopping list as they labelled the spot as the key clue which helped them arrest the parents. A city hall source told respected Spanish daily El Mundo: 'The neighbour had collected evidence that during school hours no-one left the house and expressed with certainty there had to be children living there, and even claimed to have seen them. 'The shopping list was the clue that set it all off. 'It was the list of a family, not a single person, and there was something that didn't fit at all which was the striking amount of nappies.' The source added: 'Without that neighbour, the children would almost certainly have gone undetected in that house for many more years." It was also revealed that many of the neighbours didn't even realise that the house was being lived in at all due to how secretive the dad had been. 7 A skull and cross bones drawn on the bed by one of the children Credit: Spanish Police 7 The family's house in Oviedo, northern Spain Since the arrests, cops have spoken out about the horrors inside the home as well as the treatment of the young children. Police who raided the property told local press the youngsters were made to wear nappies and told when and how many times they could use the toilet. The three boys were reportedly told they could only lower the blinds in their bedrooms at 5.10pm each day after being allowed to raise them exactly halfway up the windows during daylight hours. Prosecutors say filthy diapers were even piled up in one of the bedrooms. A shocking paediatric report on the kids later identified they were suffering from 'severe constipation', El Español reports. This is reportedly due to them only being allowed to go to the toilet at specific times. An unnamed investigator Spanish media quoted said: 'The children's parents claimed the youngsters didn't know how to control their bowel movements but the paediatric report has shown that to be false.' Police say once the children were freed one of them knelt down on the grass and 'touched it with amazement'. Oviedo Police Chief Inspector Francisco Javier Lozano said: 'We have given three children back their lives.' German freelance tech recruiter Christian and his US-born wife are both now facing 25 years and four months behind bars if found guilty. They are currently being investigated on suspicion of domestic violence, psychological mistreatment and child abandonment.
The Sun
25-07-2025
- The Sun
Parents of twins & bro, 8 & 10, held captive in nappies in Spanish ‘House of Horrors' since Covid face 25 years in jail
THE parents of three children who were allegedly trapped in a hellish "House of Horrors" since the Covid pandemic face 25 years in prison. The three boys were found by cops after parents Christian Steffen, 53, and his wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse. 7 7 The young German boys, two eight-year-old twins and one 10-year-old, were said to have been found in horrific conditions at the property in Spain. Each of them had allegedly been forced to wear three face masks and wear nappies - and made to sleep in caged beds, a source close to the investigation revealed. Pictures from inside the house in Oviedo showed the boys' bed frames covered in horrifying drawings while they were trapped inside blacked out rooms devoid of any sunlight. But despite the piles of rubbish and excrement inside the house it is thought that the two parents were terrified of germs getting into their home. Referring to the parents, the public prosecutor's office said it "seeks convictions for each of them totalling 25 years and 4 months in prison, among other penalties and measures". They are accused of habitual psychological violence and unlawful detention after allegedly keeping their children locked up from December 2021 to April 2025. The prosecutor confirmed speculation that the children were "locked up due to an unfounded fear of contracting some disease" at the home in the small Asturian town of Fitoria. Authorities also demanded that the parents be barred from ever contacting their children ever again, as well as pay a £13,000 fine. The parents have also reportedly recently filed an appeal against their pre-trial detention - but it was rejected, La Voz de Asturias reported. It was previously revealed that the youngsters were only saved thanks to a university professor's secret diary. Connecticut woman who allegedly held stepson captive for over 20 years pleads not guilty The female neighbour, called Silvia, handed cops a 'forensic detective' diary made up of a series of data which showed kids were being held at the Steffen's home. German -born Christian was registered as the only resident in the affluent home after he started to rent the property in October 2021. Silvia, who lives just 65ft away from the home, first jotted down claims that she witnessed a little girl playing in the garden. This later evolved into a slew of evidence as Silvia continued to note what she saw going on in the home. They included details of the days and times the curtains on the second floor moved and even when the blinds were opened or lowered. Notes even kept tabs on every occasion the man believed to be Christian left the house to meet delivery drivers or collected food deliveries. She said she never saw a child leave the home or playing around in the time since making the diary. Her suspicions continued to grow after she saw the amount and size of supermarket deliveries which the homeowner was receiving. 7 7 Despite only one person appearing to live in the house, Silvia noted that there was enough food and drink to feed a whole family each time. At one point, Silvia even claims she started to hear children's voices coming from across the street. After collecting the detailed dossier, the professor handed her notes over to the cops on April 14. They started to investigate the serious accusations and soon discovered nappies were being purchased. This sparked a major search inside the property so police could see what was going on inside shortly before Spain's historic blackout. Police would go on to thank Silvia for noticing the peculiar shopping list as they labelled the spot as the key clue which helped them arrest the parents. A city hall source told respected Spanish daily El Mundo: 'The neighbour had collected evidence that during school hours no-one left the house and expressed with certainty there had to be children living there, and even claimed to have seen them. 'The shopping list was the clue that set it all off. 'It was the list of a family, not a single person, and there was something that didn't fit at all which was the striking amount of nappies.' The source added: 'Without that neighbour, the children would almost certainly have gone undetected in that house for many more years." It was also revealed that many of the neighbours didn't even realise that the house was being lived in at all due to how secretive the dad had been. 7 7 Since the arrests, cops have spoken out about the horrors inside the home as well as the treatment of the young children. Police who raided the property told local press the youngsters were made to wear nappies and told when and how many times they could use the toilet. The three boys were reportedly told they could only lower the blinds in their bedrooms at 5.10pm each day after being allowed to raise them exactly halfway up the windows during daylight hours. Prosecutors say filthy diapers were even piled up in one of the bedrooms. A shocking paediatric report on the kids later identified they were suffering from 'severe constipation', El Español reports. This is reportedly due to them only being allowed to go to the toilet at specific times. An unnamed investigator Spanish media quoted said: 'The children's parents claimed the youngsters didn't know how to control their bowel movements but the paediatric report has shown that to be false.' Police say once the children were freed one of them knelt down on the grass and 'touched it with amazement'. Oviedo Police Chief Inspector Francisco Javier Lozano said: 'We have given three children back their lives.' German freelance tech recruiter Christian and his US-born wife are both now facing 25 years and four months behind bars if found guilty. They are currently being investigated on suspicion of domestic violence, psychological mistreatment and child abandonment.
Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Heartbreaking twist in ‘House of Horrors' case where 3 children were kept captive for 4 years by ‘germaphobe' parents
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THREE children locked in a "house of horrors" by their parents for four horrific years are facing another heartbreaking struggle. Christian Steffen, 53, and his wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, were arrested for alleged child abuse after the police raided the house in Spain. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Cops freed three young children from a house where they had been held captive since the pandemic Credit: Solarpix 8 The house was also full of rubbish and pet excrement Credit: Solarpix 8 The children were forced to sleep in caged beds Credit: Solarpix The police found three young boys at the Oviedo home - dubbed the "house of horrors" - who are thought to have lived there for four years since the pandemic began. The eight-year-old twins and ten-year-old boy were discovered in horrific conditions - each wearing three face masks and forced to wear nappies and sleep in caged beds. And now, the tragic victims are reportedly set to be put into a children's home. The police said the house was full of rubbish and old medicines as well as filthy pet excrement and a cat with a massive tumour. The children were reportedly kept out of school and were forbidden to leave the house. A source close to the ongoing investigation said: 'They had a timetable and a maximum number of times a day they could use the toilet because the rest of the time they had to wear nappies." The young boys were reportedly suffering from "severe constipation" when they were discovered because they weren't allowed to go to the toilet when they wanted. The parents also used black market medicines containing cannabis derivative THC to treat the kids for alleged deficit attention disorders which investigators say they are not even sure the youngsters were suffering. The mum-of-three told cops they had asked officials in Germany - where they lived before moving to northern Spain - for permission to educate their kids at home after the initial Covid crisis. The family emigrated after being warned that social services would be alerted if they took them out of school. A guest room in the horror house had been turned into a makeshift classroom where the boys had reportedly learned to read, write and draw. Connecticut woman who allegedly held stepson captive for over 20 years pleads not guilty The police said the house was full of rubbish and old medicines as well as filthy pet excrement and used tampons. But strangely the couple were reportedly using half a dozen air purifier machines they kept in their bedroom. The children were reportedly told to lower the blinds on their bedroom windows at 5.10pm each day after being allowed to raise them exactly halfway up the windows during daylight hours. They had no television to watch or electronic games to play with and wore pyjamas all day and all night - and many neighbours have admitted they had no idea anyone was even living in the house. Cops were only called when a resident in the area raised the alarm. The woman reportedly heard voices that sounded like children coming from the house despite never having seen anyone leave the house to play or go to school. After several days of surveillance cops were clear that more than just the man they saw coming in and out had to live there. The size of the boxes of food of the orders that the man brought into the home were the biggest giveaway. 8 Christian Steffen, 53, was arrested alongside his wife for alleged child abuse Credit: Solarpix 8 The boys have now been placed under the guardianship of the Government of the Principality 8 Chilling 'screaming' drawings of the three children held captive for 4 years Credit: Spanish Police But nothing could prepare the agents for what they would find when they entered the Josef Fritzl-esque horror house. When they wanted to take them out of the building they did not even have shoes of their size as they had not bought shoes for years. The police added that when the children were freed, one of them knelt on the grass and touched it with amazement. An officer said: 'They touched the grass and breathed fresh air as if they had never done so before in their lives. 'They saw a snail and they were completely taken aback.' The chief commissioner of the Local Police of Oviedo, Francisco Javier Lozano explained the details of the operation leading to the arrest of the couple at 2.45pm on Monday. The initial search of the house was reportedly made more difficult because Spain had been plunged into darkness by the electricity outrage. When the cops knocked on the front door, the father answered but asked the officers to wait for a few minutes so the children could put their masks on. One police officer told the Spanish press: "They were very scared and around the mother, who told us all the time that the little ones had serious pathologies and that we should not approach them. Josef Fritzl's crimes THE twisted dad asks his daughter Elisabeth to help him install a door in his cellar in 1984. She agreed and moments later she is drugged with an ether-soaked towel, tied up and chained to a bed. She would spend the next 24 years locked up in the hellish prison in Amstetten. Evil Fritzl went on to rape her over 3,000 times in rat-infested bunker. He would beat and kick her and force her into degrading acts - including re-enacting scenes from violent porn films. Elisabeth gave birth to seven babies in the cellar with no medical care. Kerstin, born 1988, Stefan (1990) and Felix (2002) were left to live with their mum in the underground hellhole. But Lisa, (born 1992) Monica (1994) and Alexander (1996) - were raised upstairs, by Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie after he convinced her they were left on the doorstep by Elisabeth. Alexander's twin Michael died shortly after birth with cruel Fritzl tossing his body in an incinerator. The family's nightmare sees Fritzl threatening them if they dare to escape and punishing them by switching off the electricity. Their nightmare comes to an end when Kerstin fell critically ill in 2008. Fritzl allowed Elisabeth to take her to the hospital where she revealed the shocking horrors she had suffered. Despite trying to argue he was trying to be a protective father, Fritzl was sentenced to life in prison in 2009. "They had three masks each on top of each other. They were oblivious to any contact with reality." Lozano added: "We have dismantled the house of horrors". Having been checked out at the Central University Hospital of Asturias the children have now been placed under the guardianship of the Government of the Principality. And the boys' parents have been warned they face possible prison sentences of between five and seven years. They are being investigated on suspicion of domestic violence, psychological mistreatment and child abandonment. It is not yet clear who is defending them, but lawyers hired by the couple are expected to consider an expert analysis of their clients' mental health amid speculation it had suffered as a result of the Covid crisis. Christian reportedly worked as a freelance senior tech recruiter and HR manager, having obtained a doctorate in philosophy from Hamburg University. He previously worked as a marketing consultant and head of a call centre at a telecommunications company. 8 The children were forbidden to leave the house
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Heartbreaking twist in ‘House of Horrors' case where 3 children were kept captive for 4 years by ‘germaphobe' parents
THREE children locked in a "house of horrors" by their parents for four horrific years are facing another heartbreaking struggle. Christian Steffen, 53, and his wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, were arrested for alleged child abuse after the police raided the house in Spain. 8 8 8 The police found three young boys at the Oviedo home - dubbed the "house of horrors" - who are thought to have lived there for four years since the pandemic began. The eight-year-old twins and ten-year-old boy were discovered in horrific conditions - each wearing three face masks and forced to wear nappies and sleep in caged beds. And now, the tragic victims are reportedly set to be put into a children's home. The police said the house was full of rubbish and old medicines as well as filthy pet excrement and a cat with a massive tumour. The children were reportedly kept out of school and were forbidden to leave the house. A source close to the ongoing investigation said: 'They had a timetable and a maximum number of times a day they could use the toilet because the rest of the time they had to wear nappies." The young boys were reportedly suffering from "severe constipation" when they were discovered because they weren't allowed to go to the toilet when they wanted. The parents also used black market medicines containing cannabis derivative THC to treat the kids for alleged deficit attention disorders which investigators say they are not even sure the youngsters were suffering. The mum-of-three told cops they had asked officials in Germany - where they lived before moving to northern Spain - for permission to educate their kids at home after the initial Covid crisis. The family emigrated after being warned that social services would be alerted if they took them out of school. A guest room in the horror house had been turned into a makeshift classroom where the boys had reportedly learned to read, write and draw. The police said the house was full of rubbish and old medicines as well as filthy pet excrement and used tampons. But strangely the couple were reportedly using half a dozen air purifier machines they kept in their bedroom. The children were reportedly told to lower the blinds on their bedroom windows at 5.10pm each day after being allowed to raise them exactly halfway up the windows during daylight hours. They had no television to watch or electronic games to play with and wore pyjamas all day and all night - and many neighbours have admitted they had no idea anyone was even living in the house. Cops were only called when a resident in the area raised the alarm. The woman reportedly heard voices that sounded like children coming from the house despite never having seen anyone leave the house to play or go to school. After several days of surveillance cops were clear that more than just the man they saw coming in and out had to live there. The size of the boxes of food of the orders that the man brought into the home were the biggest giveaway. 8 8 8 But nothing could prepare the agents for what they would find when they entered the Josef Fritzl-esque horror house. When they wanted to take them out of the building they did not even have shoes of their size as they had not bought shoes for years. The police added that when the children were freed, one of them knelt on the grass and touched it with amazement. An officer said: 'They touched the grass and breathed fresh air as if they had never done so before in their lives. 'They saw a snail and they were completely taken aback.' The chief commissioner of the Local Police of Oviedo, Francisco Javier Lozano explained the details of the operation leading to the arrest of the couple at 2.45pm on Monday. The initial search of the house was reportedly made more difficult because Spain had been plunged into darkness by the electricity outrage. When the cops knocked on the front door, the father answered but asked the officers to wait for a few minutes so the children could put their masks on. One police officer told the Spanish press: "They were very scared and around the mother, who told us all the time that the little ones had serious pathologies and that we should not approach them. Josef Fritzl's crimes THE twisted dad asks his daughter Elisabeth to help him install a door in his cellar in 1984. She agreed and moments later she is drugged with an ether-soaked towel, tied up and chained to a bed. She would spend the next 24 years locked up in the hellish prison in Amstetten. Evil Fritzl went on to rape her over 3,000 times in rat-infested bunker. He would beat and kick her and force her into degrading acts - including re-enacting scenes from violent porn films. Elisabeth gave birth to seven babies in the cellar with no medical care. Kerstin, born 1988, Stefan (1990) and Felix (2002) were left to live with their mum in the underground hellhole. But Lisa, (born 1992) Monica (1994) and Alexander (1996) - were raised upstairs, by Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie after he convinced her they were left on the doorstep by Elisabeth. Alexander's twin Michael died shortly after birth with cruel Fritzl tossing his body in an incinerator. The family's nightmare sees Fritzl threatening them if they dare to escape and punishing them by switching off the electricity. Their nightmare comes to an end when Kerstin fell critically ill in 2008. Fritzl allowed Elisabeth to take her to the hospital where she revealed the shocking horrors she had suffered. Despite trying to argue he was trying to be a protective father, Fritzl was sentenced to life in prison in 2009. "They had three masks each on top of each other. They were oblivious to any contact with reality." Lozano added: "We have dismantled the house of horrors". Having been checked out at the Central University Hospital of Asturias the children have now been placed under the guardianship of the Government of the Principality. And the boys' parents have been warned they face possible prison sentences of between five and seven years. They are being investigated on suspicion of domestic violence, psychological mistreatment and child abandonment. It is not yet clear who is defending them, but lawyers hired by the couple are expected to consider an expert analysis of their clients' mental health amid speculation it had suffered as a result of the Covid crisis. Christian reportedly worked as a freelance senior tech recruiter and HR manager, having obtained a doctorate in philosophy from Hamburg University. He previously worked as a marketing consultant and head of a call centre at a telecommunications company. 8 8
