A US-German couple were sentenced in Spain on Monday to almost three years in prison after keeping their three children confined inside their home for three-and-a-half years due to fears linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The couple were convicted of child abandonment and psychological abuse, although the court acquitted them of the more serious offence of unlawful detention. Prosecutors had requested prison terms of 25 years.
Both parents are German nationals, while the mother also holds US citizenship. Their identities have not been released in order to protect the privacy of their children — 11-year-old twins and another child aged nine.
In addition to the jail sentences, the court ordered the parents to pay each child 30,000 euros in compensation. They were also stripped of parental custody rights for a minimum of three years and four months.
The couple were arrested in April 2025 after police uncovered that the children had spent several years living in poor hygienic conditions at a property on the outskirts of Oviedo (Asturias) and had not been attending school. ALSO READ: Couple arrested in Asturias on suspicion of confining their kids to home for three years.
Javier Muñoz, representing the mother, said the children had been educated at home, enjoyed ‘a stable family life’ and were properly nourished.
Muñoz added that the couple, who have remained in pre-trial detention since their arrest, were ‘moderately satisfied’ with the verdict, although they are still weighing up whether to appeal the decision.
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⚠️ Los padres de la “casa de los horrores de Oviedo” condenados a casi 3 años de cárcel.
— Malas Lenguas (@MalasLenguas_Tv) May 11, 2026
❗️ Los niños vivían en condiciones infrahumanas durante 4 años.
👉Los menores se encuentran ahora bajo la tutela de los servicios sociales.#MalasLenguas pic.twitter.com/iIdpBBUI5c
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