Woman Rescued After Five Years of Alleged Abuse and Imprisonment in Polish Village

Prosecutors in southwest Poland have detained a man accused of imprisoning and severely abusing a woman for over five years in the village of Gaiki, near Glogow. The ordeal, which reportedly began in January 2019, only came to an end last week, according to the authorities in Legnica.

The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Mateusz J. due to Poland’s strict privacy laws, is alleged to have kept the 30-year-old woman confined in an unheated outbuilding, devoid of basic necessities like water and toilet facilities. During her captivity, Mateusz J. is accused of subjecting her to continuous sexual and physical abuse while severely limiting her access to food and drink. The victim was allegedly kept in isolation and only permitted outside with her vision obscured by a hood.

Local sources from Glogow indicate that the woman was held in a shed on the suspect’s family property. His elderly parents, who also lived on the farm, have claimed ignorance of the situation. The victim reportedly became pregnant during her captivity and was taken to a hospital to give birth, after which the child was placed for adoption.

The woman revealed to the local news outlet myGlogow that her fear kept her from seeking help, as Mateusz J. allegedly threatened her with worse consequences if she attempted to escape. She eventually managed to seek assistance when Mateusz J. took her to a hospital for a dislocated shoulder on Tuesday.

Mateusz J. has been questioned by police and denies all charges. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to 25 years.

This case has drawn comparisons to the infamous Josef Fritzl case in Austria, where Fritzl imprisoned his daughter for over two decades, repeatedly raping her and fathering several children. Fritzl was recently moved from psychiatric detention to a regular prison earlier this year.