In Oviedo, Spain, three children—10-year-old and 8-year-old twins—were rescued after allegedly being confined indoors since December 2021. Their German parents forced them to wear masks and live under extreme COVID-19 restrictions long after the pandemic ended.

Authorities were alerted by a neighbor who noticed the kids hadn’t attended school. Police surveillance showed only the father ever left the house. When officers entered, they found the children wearing multiple masks, sleeping in cribs, and surrounded by trash and medical supplies.

The home was described as filthy and psychologically damaging. “As soon as we got them out, all three children began to breathe deeply, as if they had never been outside before,” one officer said. The kids were fascinated by grass and even a snail—clear signs of sensory deprivation.

The children are now in protective care. Their parents, who suffer from suspected “COVID syndrome,” face charges of psychological abuse and child abandonment. Authorities called the case “outrageous” and a tragic example of extreme isolation.

A reminder: protection should never become imprisonment.