Advertisement
Germany
WorldEurope

Woman freed from 12 years captivity in French flat; German husband arrested

  • The 53-year-old woman, also German, was found naked with her head shaved, a source said, and had many injuries, including broken bones
  • Media reports said the man, 55, is accused of kidnapping, aggravated rape, and acts of torture and barbarism at their home close to German border

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
A German man, 55, is being questioned after his wife was found naked and injured in their flat in France, apparently having been imprisoned for 12 years. Photo: Shutterstock
Agence France-Presse

A German man whose brutally injured wife was kept in captivity for 12 years in their French home has been arrested, local police said on Monday.

A police source said the woman, also German, was naked with her head shaved when they found her in a bedroom in their flat, and had multiple injuries, including broken bones.

She had probably been tortured, the source said.

Advertisement

Police said the bedroom was closed off with metal wire at the residence in Forbach, eastern France, which is close to the German border.

The 53-year-old woman had managed to call police in Germany, who in turn alerted their French colleagues, a police source said.

The German woman was found in a flat in Forbach, France. Photo: Shutterstock
The German woman was found in a flat in Forbach, France. Photo: Shutterstock

The source said the woman was believed to have found access to a phone and called police in Wiesbaden, western Germany.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x