A German-American couple has been detained in Oviedo, Spain, after police discovered they had confined their three children indoors since December 2021 due to extreme COVID-19 fears.
The children—a 10-year-old boy and 8-year-old twin girls—were found malnourished, psychologically traumatized, and living in squalid conditions when authorities raided their home on April 28, 2025.
Neighbors alerted social services after noticing the children had disappeared from public view for years. Investigators found the minors wearing multiple face masks inside the apartment, with no exposure to sunlight, education, or social interaction. The parents, Christian and Melissa Steffen, now face charges of domestic violence, child abandonment, and psychological abuse.
A judge has denied the couple bail as child welfare agencies work to rehabilitate the children, who showed signs of severe developmental delays from prolonged isolation.
Spanish authorities condemned the abuse, emphasizing that pandemic precautions cannot justify such extreme deprivation of a child’s basic rights.
