Residents of Świętochłowice, located about 180 miles from the Polish capital of Warsaw, are raising funds for a 42-year-old woman who was allegedly held in her parents' home for 27 years, while her parents told neighbors she was missing.
The woman, identified in local media only as Mirella, was rescued from the alleged captivity and taken to the hospital, according to police.
Highlights
- A 42-year-old woman named Mirella was allegedly held captive by her parents in southern Poland for 27 years.
- Neighbors alerted police after hearing strange noises; police rescued Mirella, who was emaciated and hospitalized for two months.
- Mirella was confined to a small room, deprived of basic hygiene, and had severe leg wounds, her neighbors described.
Mirella was reportedly rescued in July, but the case became public in the country this month.
Image credits: SHOX art / Pexels
Luiza, a neighbor in the building, told the local newspaper Fakt that her family called the police after hearing “voices coming” from the apartment late at night.
When authorities arrived, Mirella and her mother reportedly told them that there were no issues in the apartment. However, Mirella’s extremely weak physical condition prompted the police to intervene and transfer her to a hospital.
Image credits: Pomagam
Luiza said her neighbor was so weak that her body appeared like that of an “old lady.”
Photos show authorities escorting Mirella out of the building, one of her emaciated arms dangling on the side, revealing her fragile state.
Neighbors told local media that Mirella’s parents had claimed that she went missing at the age of 15, almost three decades ago.
The parents allegedly told other residents that Mirella had been reunited with her biological parents, as per Fakt and TVP3.
The woman, identified as Mirella, was hospitalized after being rescued from the alleged captivity
Image credits: Pomagam
A fundraiser was started to help cover Mirella’s mental and physical health treatment, as well as her living costs. In the description, friends and neighbors shared more details about her condition during the alleged captivity.
They say she left the apartment “barely alive” and had leg wounds reaching down to the bone. The 42-year-old woman was also described as “starving and afraid of what would happen next.”
Doctors allegedly determined that she was only days away from losing her life due to the severe infection in her wounds.
Image credits: Pomagam
Mirella's friends claim she was confined to a small room with no contact with the outside world. She allegedly had no access to basic hygiene, was given no menstrual products, and was “rarely” allowed to use the bathroom.
After being rescued, Mirella was reportedly hospitalized for two months.
“Much remains unknown, and several facts cannot be revealed at this stage due to the good intentions towards this girl,” the fundraiser description reads. “One thing is certain: the truth must come to light as to why this young, healthy 15-year-old stopped leaving her home and disappeared without a trace.”
Neighbors contacted police after hearing unusual noises from her family's apartment late at night
Image credits: Pomagam
Image credits: Pomagam
Image credits: janoskarHansen1
According to the organizers, Mirella is able to express herself and is “very outgoing and curious about the world,” but she now needs access to everything she was previously denied. This includes money for leg treatment and rehabilitation, dental care, clothing, and psychological support.
She also needs to develop skills that will increase her chances of finding a job and achieving economic independence in the future.
Mirella and her parents initially denied any issues, but police intervened after noticing her severely weakened state
Image credits: Fakt
Luiza, who is involved with the fundraiser, told Fakt that she and Mirella used to spend time together as children and teenagers, and that she remembered her as a “normal, healthy child.”
The two would run around the yard and climb trees, and Mirella never appeared weak or had any health issues.
Image credits: Fakt
Image credits: HabibHb22
Her friends hope she can now enjoy a world she has never experienced before. “No one can give her back the most beautiful years of her life, but we can build beautiful memories of the life still ahead of her," read part of the fundraiser.
Mirella’s parents are about 82 years old, according to the description. It’s unclear whether charges will be filed against them. No charges have been brought so far, authorities told Polish media.
Police are investigating the case as potential abuse, local prosecutor Agnieszka Kwatera said.
Her parents allegedly told the community that she had gone missing at age 15
Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube
Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube
Łukasz Pach, director of the Emergency Medical Service in Katowice, told Fakt that, while transporting Mirella from her parents’ home to the hospital, she told them she “hadn't left her house in over 20 years.”
Speaking with the newspaper, a neighbor claimed that Mirella’s mother had told her almost 30 years ago that Mirella had been abducted.
“It was a shock, but what were we supposed to do? They didn't talk about it. Now it turns out that Mirella had been in that house all those years, and we never saw her once,” they said.
Police continue collecting and verifying evidence to determine whether a crime was committed
Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube
In a statement, police said there had been no previous police interventions at the residence, and the Municipal Police Headquarters in Świętochłowice had not received “any missing person reports or other disturbing reports regarding the family.”
One picture shows Mirella lying on a sofa in a room where she reportedly was kept that appears to be filled with her childhood toys.
The mother told reporters, “We used to go out with her and visit friends at the garden,” but said she could not remember when that was. When asked about the toys, she reportedly said, “I'll throw those toys away, but I haven't gotten to that point yet.”
Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube
Officers are collecting, analyzing, and verifying information to determine whether a crime was committed against the 42-year-old woman.
People have called for the parents to face jail time in light of the revelations
