Claudio Bresciani/TT via AP
An old Swedish woman kept her adult son in captivity for 28 years, say police.
The 70-year-old woman was recently arrested for unlawful deprivation of liberty and grievous bodily harm.
An unidentified female relative discovered the 41-years-old man. She entered the unlocked flat after learning that the man’s mother had been admitted to a hospital over the weekend, according to Swedish newspaper Expressen.
She told the paper that the apartment was like walking into a horror movie. The man was covered in “urine, dirt, and dust” and smelled “rotten.” His body was pockmarked with wounds and pus, and he was missing all of his teeth. He was also unable to speak coherently.
The relative called for an ambulance and the man was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Stockholm prosecutor Emma Olsson told Reuters.
It is believed that the mother first imprisoned her child when he was around 13. He was taken out of school when he was in seventh grade, the relative told broadcaster SVT.
She explained to SVT that the family was “dysfunctional,” and the mother had become “overprotective” of her son after losing a child some years earlier.
The mother denies the allegations. According to local police, an investigation is ongoing.
Police are now looking for anyone who may have witnessed any of the illegal activities over the years.