Latest news with #ChristianSteffen
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
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- The Irish 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 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 began. The eight-year-old twins and ten-year-old boy were discovered in horrific conditions - each wearing three and forced to wear nappies and 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 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 derivative THC to treat the kids for alleged deficit attention disorders which investigators say they are not even sure the youngsters were suffering. Most read in The US Sun The mum-of-three told cops they had asked officials in 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 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 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 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 "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 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 Read more on the Irish Sun 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 8 The family's house in Oviedo, northern Spain Credit: AFP
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: How monster father who kept children in filthy House of Horrors for four years due to Covid fears managed to dodge first police raid - as RONAN O'REILLY reveals the chilling clue that finally caught him out
It was in the middle of the Iberian peninsula blackout last month when police knocked on Christian Steffen's front door. Strange timing perhaps, but they were investigating a case that sounded even more peculiar. Even so, the officers could have hardly anticipated that, more than five years after the start of the Covid crisis, they were about to walk in one of the most extraordinary and disturbing stories to emerge from the pandemic.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The nosy neighbour who turned detective to uncover sickening truth about Spain's House of Horrors where German man and his 22-stone wife kept sons locked away in filth and nappies for years
This is the neighbour-turned-detective whose 'impressive' and meticulous sleuthing uncovered a historic 'house of horrors' in Spain. Silvia Gomez Anson spent months keeping tabs on her 'odd' German neighbour in the sleepy village of Toleo, nestled at the foot of a mountain in the northern region of Asturias. On April 14, the economics professor at the University of Oviedo handed her 'forensic level' findings to the authorities, who were so impressed they launched an urgent investigation. Exactly two weeks later, 15A was raided by police, unearthing a secret family living in a cesspit of filth amid 'serious signs of child abuse and neglect'. Silvia's long-held suspicions were confirmed after cops found Christian Steffen, 58, was living with his 22-stone American wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, and their three young sons - twins aged eight, and a 10-year-old. Reportedly due to 'an extreme fear of Covid-19 ', the family had remained confined inside the home since arriving in December 2021 - during the sixth wave of the pandemic. Their lockdown mentality was so ingrained that when police officers arrived at the door they asked them to wear masks before entering - while their sons, who only speak English due to missing years of school in Spain - wore three face coverings each. Police believe the children would have suffered many more years had it not been for Silvia's scrupulous work. It all began in August 2024, when Silvia, who lives at 15B, saw what she thought was a young girl playing in the garden next door, at 15A. She thought nothing of it at the time, believing a friend of the neighbour had been visiting with their daughter. However, some months ago she noticed movement behind one of the blinds while the neighbour - who she assumed lived alone - was collecting a delivery from the front door. It suddenly dawned on her that the 'girl' she saw last summer could be living inside the house. Like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, Silvia began spying on the property at every chance she got. Her large windows guaranteed an unbridled view of the property next door, which was just 50ft away, while her slatted blinds kept her out of sight of the neighbour. In a 'forensic level' diary, she jotted down every minor detail, including when the blinds and curtains moved and when the father took the bins out. She kept tabs on his many deliveries of food, medicine and other goods - and crucially, the times she heard multiple children's voices. After months of observations, she felt compelled to act after becoming convinced that children were being kept inside the home and forbidden from leaving. Police in the northern city of Oviedo found the three young boys – twins aged eight and their ten-year-old brother – in the house on Wednesday In her notes, she jotted down how food deliveries seemed to be for a family, not just one person. Speaking to El Mundo, sources at Oviedo City Council compared Silvia's notes to a professional police report, adding that it was likely she had help from someone familiar with such processes. Silvia did such a good job that when she handed her findings in on April 14, the local police immediately began investigating - a situation that sources said was 'unheard of'. Investigators soon realised that only the father was registered at the address. Adding to their concern, it appeared he had not left the home beyond walking to the gate to collect deliveries. While monitoring the house, detectives noticed one food delivery was far too big for a single person, confirming what Silvia had found during her investigations. But it was the large order of diapers that was said to be the smoking gun, and a raid of the property was launched on April 28. Police would later thank Silvia for her dedicated work. One source said: 'Without that neighbour, the children would almost certainly have gone undetected in that house for many more years.' When approached by MailOnline at her home today, a humble Silvia refused to comment on whether she was a hero. 'I'm not talking about the case,' she said. Plain-clothed police officers later arrived at the scene, which has become somewhat of a macabre tourist attraction. Passersby continue to walk up the driveway to take photos of the infamous 'house of horrors' - despite Silvia having placed a barricade at the bottom of the road. One of the officers told MailOnline: 'She is a bit freaked out by the attention and is not going to talk, especially because the case is still active and making its way through the courts.' He said the Steffen parents remain behind bars but could not comment further. They face up to seven years in jail each if found guilty of domestic and psychological abuse, child abandonment - and potentially unlawful detention. According to reports, only the father was allowed to open the front door. When he let police in on April 28, they discovered the family were living in total squalor. There was animal excrement all over the kitchen floor and counters, while a guest bedroom had become a dumping ground for the children's used nappies. One guest bedroom had become a dumping ground for the children's used nappies. Under the parents' bed were piles of used sanitary pads and tampons, and mounds of other filth. According to Spanish reports, 22 jars of vaseline were also found on the mother's bedside table. She reportedly weighed 22 stone at the time of her arrest. The twins were kept in cribs meant for infants, with police finding disturbing drawings of monsters scrawled on them. On the first floor, a guest room had signs of being used as a classroom for the boys, with officers finding a table, three chairs, human anatomy books and a map of the world. Almost all the blinds of the property were closed, apart from in the children's bedrooms, which investigators discovered were shut every day at 5.10pm. Officers also found four oxygen-purifying ozone generators. The air purifiers, which became popular during the pandemic, were plugged in 24/7. The case has shocked Spain and rocked the local community of Toleo, which until recently, was a relatively unknown village of no more than 200 people. Locals are said to be reeling after discovering the children's alleged years-long suffering. Adding salt to the wound, the litany of alleged crimes happened just a few doors down from a police captain, and opposite a convent, where dozens of locals flock daily to buy the nuns' cookies and cakes. Local Maria Jesus, who lives higher up on the mountain, told MailOnline that she had suspected something was wrong, but never thought to involve herself like Silvia did. She said: 'I once saw the mother walking down the road in a summer dress and flip flops in the middle of winter, they were not okay in the head. 'I think it happened to a lot of people during Covid, the lockdowns and everything really affected some people.' Maria said the village is filled with wealthy homeowners, and that a 'chief or captain' of the Civil Guard lives just a few doors down. 'It's easy to hide here, no one is going to bother you, but it was their strange behaviour that raised alarms,' she added. 'A Mercadona truck would pull into the drive and deliver far too much food for one person, so it's no surprise the neighbour became suspicious. 'But you can't enter a private home without a court order, so she needed to collect evidence and give the police a reason to investigate.' She added: 'I've lived here for 40 years and I've never seen anything like it, it was a media circus when the news first broke. 'It's all anyone has been talking about. It was very shocking, but thank God she (Silvia) did something.' Two nuns who live at the convent across the road told MailOnline that, 'regrettably', they knew nothing of the tenants until reading about them in the press. One said: 'It was horrible to read about, the press were here for days afterwards. 'We never saw anybody in the house and we knew nothing, we assumed it was empty, the front garden is so unkept.' The sister added: 'People here live very independently so it's not unusual to go unnoticed, but it was horrible to find out about it and that it was right next to us.' The only contact the nuns have with the outside world is through the window where they sell their pastries, cakes and pies. Local Marino Guardado has lived in Toleo for 23 years in a home just above that of the Steffens. He told the El Diario newspaper: 'The news is a scandal. In four years I've never seen anyone, not a man, a woman, the children, a dog, or a cat. As far as I could see, there was no one there, and therefore, there was no activity…' He said the grass in front of the house is very tall as if 'no person or animal has walked on it for years.' He said the local community is 'tremendously angry' for not 'doing something for the innocent children' sooner. Postman Julio Luque is one of the few to have met any of the family, having made deliveries to the German father Christian. He said: 'The German was always at home and opened the door for me with his mask on. 'He answered the phone, and I never thought there could be more people inside. No noise was ever heard.' The Steffens had reportedly moved from Germany in December 2021 over fears they would lose custody of their three sons. According to Spanish broadcaster Telecinco, they wanted to homeschool their children, which is prohibited in the country. Allegedly motivated by an 'extreme fear' of Covid-19, the parents moved to the isolated home in northern Spain two months after father Christian signed the lease in October 2021, stating he would be the only person living there. According to property portal Idealista, the pink, 333 square metre property was built in 2002 and is worth up to €480,000. After moving in, the Steffens were allegedly able to inflict years of child abuse and neglect against their three sons, who were forced to wear three masks each and were still using nappies. They were also found to be suffering from extreme constipation after their toilet visits became highly controlled. From their arrival in late 2021 and until their arrests last month, the parents almost never left the house and the boys were never seen outside the home. When they were finally rescued on April 28, at least one of the boys is said to have fallen to their knees to touch the grass 'in amazement'. Christian is a doctor in philosophy, but was working remotely as a human resources consultant. This allowed him to pay for the rent and constant delivery of food and medicines without anyone having to leave the home. A CV posted online by Christian stated that he is only available to work 'remotely', while he described himself as having 'strong empathy'. He also wrote that he is 'open yet disciplined' and has 'perseverance and commitment.' Following their arrests, investigating judge Begoña Fernandez refused to grant the couple bail and stripped them of their custody and parental rights over the three boys. The children are now under the care of the state. Social care minister Marta del Arco previously told El Comercio that the evaluation of the boys shows they are 'doing okay physically', however the psychological assessment is yet to be completed. Flor Gonzalez Muñiz, spokesperson for the Professional Association of Social Education of the Principality of Asturias, added that the parents repeatedly told the youngsters the outside world was 'harmful' to them. The expert has been closely monitoring the case since it first came onto the authorities' radar on April 14. She said the parents began the self-isolation during the pandemic and told the boys they had serious health problems, stocking up on a variety of medications to give them, despite no professional diagnoses from healthcare professionals. Since being freed, according to Muñiz, the two youngest - twins aged eight - are adapting well to living without masks, however the eldest brother, aged 10, is a little more 'reticent'. She said: 'The little ones took them off and were free, but the older one eats and puts it back on… 'It's not so easy to break down the discourse they've received for so long from their parents… children are less aware of the risk the younger they are… so it's normal that the eldest needs to check more than the other two that nothing (untoward) is happening and to gain trust.' The expert said the damage caused to the trio is 'very serious' but 'not irreversible'. She believes the fact there are three of them will help the brothers 'become a close group.' She added: 'They have an opportunity right now; childhood has that flexibility: If you work correctly, even if there may be after-effects, because this is something they will carry with them forever, they will be able to reach adulthood with the guarantee of a full life.'
