A 43-year-old man, looking confused and dishevelled, has been rescued from a house in Germany after reportedly being kept in isolation there for 30 years.
Authorities in Bavaria are investigating the man's parents, who face charges including assault, neglect and false imprisonment.
"We still don't know exactly for how long the man has had no contact with the outside world and whether or not he was allowed to leave the property at all," a police spokesperson told German media. "But we can say he was held in isolation."
When he emerged, the man was reported to have been in an unkempt state, smeared in his own faeces and with ingrown toenails. He is now being treated at a regional hospital and is believed to have mental disabilities.
The alarm was raised when neighbours apparently heard the man moaning. Police raided the house and found him.
Local newspaper Nordbayerische Kurier reported the man's mother saying her son had "had enough of life" after being teased at school. "He wanted to stay with us. If I were to tell you what we went through, you wouldn't believe me. All I ever wanted to do was protect him," she said.
Newshub.