A six-year-old girl who allegedly spent her entire life locked in a single room has been rescued by police in Sorocaba, Brazil. The child was found in a dark, dingy room, unable to speak and fed only liquids, according to officials.
Police discovered the girl after receiving a tip-off and conducting a welfare check. They found her in a locked room with a stained wall bearing the impression of her back and a tired-looking teddy bear. The child had been deprived of vaccinations and could not talk, communicating only through unorthodox sounds.
Child protection counsellor Ligia Guerra described the girl as 'very apathetic and dazzled by everything,' with tangled hair that looked like it had 'never been washed.' She had not eaten anything that day, and police revealed she had been raised on a liquids-only diet.
The girl was taken to hospital for a medical examination and then moved to a children's facility. Her parents were arrested and charged with unlawful detention, remaining in police custody. Police chief Renata Zanin said the mother 'cannot grasp the gravity of the situation,' gave 'evasive answers' during interrogation, and 'showed no remorse whatsoever.'
