Daughter held in dark room for 19 years

Romanian police are investigating a couple who kept their daughter confined to a small, dark room for 19 years

Jozsef and Vera Hathazi have been accused of depriving Edit, now 38, of her liberty during the confinement, which allegedly began when as a 19-year-old she gave birth to a daughter out of wedlock, police spokeswoman Andreea Buzsi said.

Police found Edit two weeks ago when they visited the family home because her identity documents had expired. The emaciated woman was laying on a bed with a thin mattress and rugs in a dark, dirty room where a bucket served as a toilet.

The woman told police her stay in the room was voluntary, but the door had been locked from the outside, leading police to suspect her parents held her against her will. The parents have not been arrested.

The police officer who found the woman said he was struck by a “smell of death” as he entered the house in the village of Brates, about 125 miles north of Bucharest.

The woman weighed less than six stones, could barely speak and started to cry when she saw the officer. She was later admitted to hospital.

The parents face up to 10 years in prison if they are found guilty of confining their daughter.