MADRID, Spain: A U.S.-German couple who locked up their three children at home for three-and-a-half years, after developing a fear of the outside world following the COVID-19 pandemic, were sentenced to nearly three years in prison in Spain on May 11.
The father and mother were both found guilty of abandoning their family and causing psychological harm to their children. However, they were not found guilty of the more serious charge of illegally keeping the children confined. Prosecutors had asked for a 25-year prison sentence.
Both parents are German citizens, and the mother also has U.S. citizenship. Their names have not been released to protect their children, who are nine-year-old twins and an 11-year-old.
The court ordered the parents to pay each child 30,000 euros (US$32,000) in compensation. They also lost custody of their children for at least three years and four months.
Police arrested the couple in April 2025 after finding that the children had been living for years in poor sanitary conditions in a house outside the northern city of Oviedo and were not going to school.
The mother's lawyer, Javier Muñoz, said the children were being home-schooled, had a stable family life, and were well fed.
He added that the couple, who have been in custody since their arrest, were somewhat satisfied with the court's decision but are still considering an appeal.
