ŚWIĘTOCHŁOWICE, Poland – A Polish woman reported as a missing teenager nearly three decades ago has been found alive in her family home, where she is believed to have been confined to a single bedroom since 1998.
Police in the southern city of Świętochłowice discovered the woman, identified only as Mirella, in July this year while responding to reports of a domestic disturbance. Authorities said she appeared severely malnourished and in need of urgent medical attention.
Local reports suggest Mirella, now in her early forties, had been locked in her room by her parents for 27 years. She was last seen publicly when she was 15 years old. According to investigators, she had never left the house or even stepped onto the balcony during her confinement.
Medical staff who treated her described her condition as critical, with doctors warning that she had been just “days away from death” due to severe infection and neglect. She remains in hospital, where she has been receiving treatment for two months.
Neighbours have expressed shock at the discovery and have launched an online fundraiser to assist in her recovery. One organiser wrote: “It is unimaginable to spend so much time in one room. She has never been to a doctor, never held an ID card, and has missed out on life beyond her four walls.”
Authorities have not released further details, citing the ongoing investigation. Police are expected to question several individuals, including members of Mirella’s family, to determine how the situation went unnoticed for so many years.
Human rights groups in Poland have called for a full inquiry into the case, describing it as a “deeply disturbing example” of prolonged domestic abuse and social neglect.
