Latest news with #UniversityofOviedo
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
'I foun horror house with kids locked up in nappies after spotting odd thing'
People often grumble about nosy neighbours who can't seem to keep their noses out of other people's business, but one woman has been hailed as a hero after she alerted the police about unusual happenings in the house across the street from her property. Silvia Gomez Anson spent months keeping an eye on her 'peculiar' German neighbour in the tranquil village of Toleo - nestled at the foot of a mountain in the northern Spanish region of Asturias - according to The Daily Mail. She had been keeping tabs on her neighbours ever since they moved in during the COVID pandemic. The saga kicked off in August 2024, when Silvia spotted what she believed was a young girl playing in the garden next door. At first, she didn't think much of it, assuming that a friend of the neighbour had simply popped over with their daughter. However, a few months ago, she noticed movement behind one of the blinds while the neighbour - who she thought lived alone - was receiving a delivery at the front door. It suddenly hit her that the 'girl' she saw last summer might be living inside the house. This piqued Silvia's interest and she began keeping a closer watch on the property. She noted down every minor detail, including when the father took the rubbish out, reports the Mirror US. She kept track of deliveries of food, medicine and other goods - as well as when she heard children's voices. Gradually, she started to suspect that there were several children living in the house - and they weren't allowed to leave. An economics professor from the University of Oviedo had observed that only the family's father was permitted to leave the house. The man primarily left the home just to collect groceries delivered at the front door - and Silvia also noticed that the family's three children only had their window blinds raised for brief periods. Silvia finally made the tough decision to alert the authorities when she noticed the continuous purchase of nappies, despite the children being eight and ten years old. On 14 April, she presented her 'forensic level' findings to the authorities, who were so taken aback they immediately launched an investigation into the matter. Exactly a fortnight later, the house was stormed by police whose arrival revealed a secret family living in squalor amid 'serious signs of child abuse and neglect'. The vigilant neighbour's long-held suspicions were confirmed after police discovered 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 sibling. Reportedly due to 'an extreme fear of Covid-19, they had remained confined inside the home since arriving in December 2021 - during the sixth wave of the pandemic. Their mental state around the lockdown was so prevalent that police were asked to wear masks before entering the dwelling - despite this practice being long abandoned. The couple's sons, who spoke English due to missing years of school wore three face coverings each due to their fear of the disease. Police believe that the children would have suffered for years to come if it had not been for Silvia's detective work. Police uncovered that the household faced unusually high electricity bills, likely a result of running at least six air purifiers constantly – in addition to a steep water bill, hinting at compulsive showering to ward off pathogens, given the house wasn't cleaned as evidenced by its condition when officers arrived. Psychologists speculate that the Steffen couple might be battling "COVID Syndrome." From their first day in the neighbourhood, the family kept to themselves, holing up in their expansive villa – but causing no nuisances, leading most neighbours to overlook them. Except for Silvia, whose suspicions were aroused. Entering the home, police found windows perennially closed and the atmosphere sterilised around the clock by an army of ozone generators. The offspring were found in nappies, confined indoors at all times. Medical checks revealed severe constipation amongst the children, caused by an inability to use the loo. The parents had enforced a strict rule for the kids to use their nappies like infants, resulting in the children avoiding bowel movements as much as possible as a coping mechanism. Christian and Melissa Ann Steffen were under the firm belief that their children were plagued with severe health issues, and feared they would succumb to the coronavirus if infected. In an attempt to prevent this, they cut off their children from the outside world for over three years. During this period, the parents insisted their children wear triple face masks, and restricted them to wearing only pyjamas and sanitary socks. Regarding the Steffen family's relocation to Oviedo, Spain, it was discovered by police that while still in Germany, the parents had requested their children's school to allow them to continue their education without physically attending classes. However, their request was turned down and the school informed the Steffens that the children would be removed from the education system, which would necessitate the school to alert social services. Viewing this as a threat to their lifestyle, the German couple decided to relocate to Spain, leading them to settle in the village. Books used for home-schooling, various board games, and children's drawings - some of which were disturbingly depicting monsters on their wooden beds - were found at the Steffens' residence. The children are currently undergoing medical and psychological evaluations. However, police officers were taken aback by the children's extreme reactions when they were first brought to their back garden. They showed clear signs of panic upon seeing the outside world, having been kept indoors for over three years. Spanish authorities have confirmed that the reign of terror imposed by Christian and Melissa Ann Steffen has finally come to an end. They credited a neighbour's intervention for bringing the situation to their attention. Without her involvement, the couple could have continued to traumatise the children for many more years. The pair now face between five and seven years in prison, although these sentences could be extended if additional charges are brought against them.
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Daily Record
House of horrors with kids locked up in nappies discovered by 'nosy' neighbour
Silvia Gomez Anson from Toledo in Spain had been suspicious of the family ever since they moved in during the COVID pandemic - and was hailed a hero after alerting police to her fears People often grumble about nosy neighbours who can't seem to mind their own business, but one woman has been hailed as a hero after alerting police about unusual happenings in the house across the street from her home. Silvia Gomez Anson spent months keeping an eye on her 'odd' German neighbour in the tranquil village of Toleo - nestled at the foot of a mountain in the Spanish northern region of Asturias - according to The Daily Mail. She had been keeping records on her neighbours ever since they moved in during the COVID pandemic. The saga began in August 2024, when Silvia spotted what she thought was a young girl playing in the garden next door. At first, she thought nothing of it, assuming a friend of the neighbour had simply 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. This piqued Silvia's interest and she began monitoring the property. She noted down every minor detail, including when the father took the bins out, reports the Mirror US. She recorded deliveries of food, medicine and other goods - as well as when she heard the voices of children. Gradually, she began to believe that there were several children living in the residence - and claims they were not allowed to leave. An economics professor from the University of Oviedo, she says she observed that only the family's father was permitted to leave their home. The man primarily ventured out to collect groceries delivered at the front door, and Silvia also noticed that the three children of the family only raised their house's window blinds for brief intervals. Silvia made the tough choice to inform the authorities when she noticed the continuous purchase of nappies, despite the children being eight and ten years old. On 14 April, she presented her 'forensic level' findings to the authorities, who were so taken aback that they promptly initiated an investigation into the matter. Exactly a fortnight later, the police raided the house, revealing a hidden family living in squalor with 'serious signs of child abuse and neglect'. The vigilant neighbour's long-standing suspicions were confirmed after the police discovered Christian Steffen, 58, living with his 22-stone American wife Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, and their three young sons - twins aged eight, and a 10 year old sibling. Reportedly, due to 'an extreme fear of Covid-19', they had remained confined inside the home since arriving in December 2021 - during the sixth wave of the pandemic. Their mental state around the lockdown was so prevalent that police were asked to wear masks before entering the dwelling - despite this practice being long abandoned. The couple's sons, unable to speak English from missing years of education, wore three face masks each due to their fear of the illness. Authorities believe the youngsters would have endured prolonged suffering if not for Silvia's investigative instincts. Authorities uncovered that the residence incurred unusually high electricity charges, attributed to operating a minimum of six air purifiers continuously - coupled with an elevated water bill, indicating frequent showers to evade germs, as there was no evidence of the water being used for cleaning given the home's filthy condition when officers arrived. Psychiatric experts have posited that Mr. and Mrs. Steffen might be afflicted with "COVID Syndrome." From the outset, the family maintained a secluded existence. Upon relocating, they began self-isolating in their ample villa - yet causing no nuisances, most neighbours simply disregarded them. However, Silvia was apprehensive that something was amiss. Upon law enforcement entering the premises, it was observed that all windows were sealed shut, and the atmosphere was constantly cleansed by an array of ozone generators. The children, discovered still in nappies, had been confined indoors perpetually. Medical assessments revealed the children exhibited severe constipation due to their inability to access a lavatory. Their guardians demanded that they defecate in their nappies as infants might do - which led to the kids holding back their bowel movements as long as possible in an effort to adapt. Christian and Melissa Ann Steffen were under the impression that their children had severe health conditions, and feared they would perish if they contracted COVID-19. In an attempt to prevent this, they cut off their children from the outside world for over three years. During this period, the parents insisted their children wear triple face masks and only don pyjamas and sanitary socks. Regarding the Steffen family's stay in Oviedo, Spain, it was discovered by the police that while still in Germany, the parents had requested their children's school to allow them to continue their studies without physically attending classes. However, their request was turned down and the school informed the Steffens that the children would be removed from the education system, which would necessitate the school to alert social services. Viewing this as a threat to their lifestyle, the German couple chose to relocate to Spain, leading them to settle in the village. Books used for home-schooling, various board games, and children's drawings - some of which were disturbingly depicting monsters on their wooden beds - were discovered by authorities at the Steffens' residence. The children are currently undergoing medical and psychological evaluations. However, police officers were taken aback by the children's extreme reactions when they were first brought to their back garden, showing clear signs of panic upon seeing the outside world, having been kept indoors for over three years. Spanish police have confirmed that the reign of terror imposed by Christian and Melissa Ann Steffen has finally come to an end, thanks to a vigilant neighbour who alerted them. Without her intervention, the couple could have continued to traumatise the children for many more years. The pair now face between five and seven years in prison, although these sentences could be extended if additional charges are levelled against them.
Sky News
26-03-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Surgeons carry out world's first pig-to-human liver transplant
Surgeons have carried out the world's first liver transplant from a pig into a human recipient. The operation, carried out in China, used a liver from a pig that had been genetically modified to reduce the chance of the organ being rejected by a human immune system. The organ successfully produced bile and essential proteins in a patient who was brain-dead, but still alive. Relatives asked for the experiment to be stopped after 10 days, but the researchers say the organ could have functioned for longer. They hailed the transplant as a "great achievement", and European experts have called it a significant milestone that could save lives in future. The surgical team, from Xijing Hospital in Xi'an, took the liver from a Bama miniature pig that had six key genes modified to improve compatibility of an organ when transplanted into a human. According to results published in the science journal Nature, the liver functioned normally, with good blood flow and no signs of rejection. Professor Lin Wang, who led the research team, said the transplant was carried out with full ethical approval from medical authorities and consent from the patient's family. "Surgery was really successful," he told a news conference. "The liver from the pig functioned very well in the human body. So it's a great achievement." Hearts and kidneys from genetically modified pigs have already been transplanted into a handful of living patients. Most died within weeks of the operation, but two people who had pig kidneys are understood to have survived in the United States. Professor Wang said a liver transplant from a pig is far more complicated. "A heart is just a pump, the kidney only produces urine," he said. "But the liver has many functions, so this is a huge obstacle for us to solve." Several research groups are experimenting with pigs raised in super-clean facilities for organ donation. Pigs are used because their organs are similar in size and structure to those in a human. But key genes need to be modified to reduce the risk of them being attacked by a patient's immune system after transplantation. The Chinese researchers propose using pig organs as a temporary support, either to take the pressure off a patient's liver so it can regenerate, or to give more time to find a permanent organ from a suitable human donor. There are currently more than 600 patients on the waiting list for a liver transplant in the UK. The average wait for an organ from a deceased donor is three to four months. Ivan Fernandez Vega, professor of pathological anatomy at the University of Oviedo in Spain, described the experiment as an important "milestone". "The clinical implications are highly relevant, as optimising this approach could expand the pool of available organs and save lives in liver emergencies," he said. The Chinese team is planning to repeat the experiment in more brain-dead patients, for longer periods, before progressing to the first clinical transplants in living people.
