A German couple in Spain has been arrested after allegedly keeping their three children locked inside their home in Oviedo since December 2021, enforcing extreme COVID-era rules long after restrictions ended. The children—10-year-old and 8-year-old twins—were found on April 28 in what authorities called a “house of horrors.”

“When we took them out of the house… they saw a snail and went crazy,” said one officer. Another added, “As soon as we got them out, all three children began to breathe deeply, as if they had never been outside before.”

Authorities were alerted after a neighbor noticed the kids hadn’t been seen or sent to school. Surveillance revealed only the father, 53, left the house for groceries and mail. Inside, the mother, 48, masked the kids with three layers, claiming they were “very sick.”

Police described the home as “clearly unsanitary,” filled with garbage, medication, and toys described as “defaced monsters.” The kids slept in cribs and showed signs of psychological distress, though they were not malnourished.

Both parents remain in custody without bail. They’re charged with child abandonment and abuse, and are believed to suffer from “COVID syndrome,” a term Oviedo’s police chief used to explain the family’s extreme isolation.