- The girl told the doctors that she did not know what a forest was and that she had not met other children.
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| Attendorn, Germany. |
The unsolved unknowns in the María case, the eight-year-old girl who lived her entire life 'kidnapped' at her grandparents' house
Earlier this week, the case of María, the eight-year-old girl who was locked up in the house of her maternal grandparents, in the town of Attendorn, Germany, came to light for nearly seven years. However, despite the fact that the girl was released by the police at the end of September and that she is already in a foster home, there are still many unknowns surrounding the alleged "kidnapping" of the minor, according to the newspaper German Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Cut off from the world
One of the most striking aspects of this case has been the total isolation in which the girl was found, who was held captive not only by her grandparents but also by her mother, Rosemarie G. According to the Juvenile Welfare Office, the minor had not been allowed to leave the house since she was a year and a half old. In fact, the doctors who examined her explained to the German media that the girl denied knowing any forest, other children, and even the inside of a car since she had never been in one.
Motor problems
Also noteworthy was the fact that the girl had "restrictions in the musculoskeletal system", which, according to senior prosecutor Patrick Baron von Grotthuss, are evident when she climbs the stairs and are probably due to lack of exercise. In fact, a neighbor told the newspaper, Der Spiegel, that a police officer helped her lean on and led her slowly down the stairs.
Despite her physical limitations, there is no indication that the little girl has been abused or sexually abused. The minor also did not show symptoms of malnutrition, according to a statement from local authorities. And, although he has never been to school, he knows how to read, write and count.
Moving to Italy
When the girl was born in 2013, her parents were not together. Two years later, her mother demanded sole custody and would also have prohibited the father from approaching the minor. In addition, according to the resident registry, he supposedly moved to the Italian region of Calabria. However, prosecutors consider that it is likely that they never moved to Italy and that they stayed in Attendorn. In fact, Italian authorities confirmed that they never lived at the provided Calabrian address, The Guardian reported.
Shared custody
The reason why the father never tried to contact his daughter, despite being awarded joint custody in 2016, is still unknown, according to the BBC. The father's sister told WAZ that he sent the girl gifts to Italy, but that they were always returned and that when the mother was seen in Attendorn she said that she was on vacation. It is also not known how it is possible that the girl has remained hidden for so long in a town that has only 24,000 inhabitants.
An anonymous couple
According to the Youth Welfare Office, "there was no evidence that the girl did not live in Italy" and that she was being held at her maternal grandparents' house. Despite this, the minor was able to be released because in July of this year a couple who had no direct relationship with the family reported the suspicion that the girl was locked in the house to the authorities.
Now the mother and grandparents of the minor are being investigated for having deprived the minor of liberty for almost seven years and the woman could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the prosecutor. However, no charges have yet been filed against him, according to the BBC.
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