A German-American couple has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after authorities in Spain discovered their three children had been kept isolated inside a home for almost four years. Christian Steffen, 53, and Melissa Ann Steffen, 48, were sentenced following a closed-door trial in Oviedo, a city in northern Spain where the family had been living since late 2021.
Spanish authorities said the couple kept their children, a then-10-year-old boy and 8-year-old twins confined inside the "house of horrors" from December 2021 until April 28, 2025, claiming they were protecting them from Covid-19, per the Daily Mail.
The court found the pair guilty of “habitual psychological violence within the family environment,” handing each parent a sentence of two years and four months. They also received an additional six months after being convicted of family abandonment.
Officials said the children were discovered living in poor conditions and had suffered physical, developmental, and social problems after years of isolation. According to prosecutors, the children were never enrolled in school in Spain and had not seen a doctor since 2019.
“[The Steffens] locked the minors up inside their home and isolated them completely from the rest of the world, denying them contact with other people both physically and through other forms of communication,” prosecutors said ahead of trial.
“The children didn't even know their relatives or any other people that weren't their parents.” Authorities said the children were not allowed outside, including into the garden, for nearly four years. “They never went outside, not even to the garden of their home, for almost four years because of the unfounded fear the accused had, and they had instilled in their children, that they might be infected with something.”
Investigators also alleged the children suffered bladder and bowel issues linked to prolonged diaper use and physical issues caused by inadequate sleeping arrangements.
Police launched the investigation after a local woman named Silvia became suspicious and documented unusual activity at the property, including frequent grocery deliveries and signs children may have been inside.
Spanish authorities said the couple kept their children, a then-10-year-old boy and 8-year-old twins confined inside the "house of horrors" from December 2021 until April 28, 2025, claiming they were protecting them from Covid-19, per the Daily Mail.
The court found the pair guilty of “habitual psychological violence within the family environment,” handing each parent a sentence of two years and four months. They also received an additional six months after being convicted of family abandonment.
Officials said the children were discovered living in poor conditions and had suffered physical, developmental, and social problems after years of isolation. According to prosecutors, the children were never enrolled in school in Spain and had not seen a doctor since 2019.
“[The Steffens] locked the minors up inside their home and isolated them completely from the rest of the world, denying them contact with other people both physically and through other forms of communication,” prosecutors said ahead of trial.
“The children didn't even know their relatives or any other people that weren't their parents.” Authorities said the children were not allowed outside, including into the garden, for nearly four years. “They never went outside, not even to the garden of their home, for almost four years because of the unfounded fear the accused had, and they had instilled in their children, that they might be infected with something.”
Investigators also alleged the children suffered bladder and bowel issues linked to prolonged diaper use and physical issues caused by inadequate sleeping arrangements.
Police launched the investigation after a local woman named Silvia became suspicious and documented unusual activity at the property, including frequent grocery deliveries and signs children may have been inside.
