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“Grounded For Life”: Teen Reported Missing 27 Years Ago Discovered Living In Parents’ House
Teen discovered living in parentsu2019 house in horrific condition after being missing for 27 years in grounded for life case
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“Grounded For Life”: Teen Reported Missing 27 Years Ago Discovered Living In Parents’ House

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Residents of Świętochłowice, located about 180 miles from the Polish capital of Warsaw, are raising funds for a 42-year-old woman who was allegedly held in her parents’ home for 27 years, while her parents told neighbors she was missing.

The woman, identified in local media only as Mirella, was rescued from the alleged captivity and taken to the hospital, according to police.

Highlights
  • A 42-year-old woman named Mirella was allegedly held captive by her parents in southern Poland for 27 years.
  • Neighbors alerted police after hearing strange noises; police rescued Mirella, who was emaciated and hospitalized for two months.
  • Mirella was confined to a small room, deprived of basic hygiene, and had severe leg wounds, her neighbors described.

Mirella was reportedly rescued in July, but the case became public in the country this month.

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    Close-up of a Polish police car hood indicating involvement in a teen missing 27 years case discovered at parents’ house.

    Image credits: SHOX art / Pexels

    Luiza, a neighbor in the building, told the local newspaper Fakt that her family called the police after hearing “voices coming” from the apartment late at night.

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    When authorities arrived, Mirella and her mother reportedly told them that there were no issues in the apartment. However, Mirella’s extremely weak physical condition prompted the police to intervene and transfer her to a hospital.

    Teen missing 27 years found living in parents’ house in horrific condition, sitting on a chair holding a drink.

    Image credits: Pomagam

    Luiza said her neighbor was so weak that her body appeared like that of an “old lady.”

    Photos show authorities escorting Mirella out of the building, one of her emaciated arms dangling on the side, revealing her fragile state.

    Neighbors told local media that Mirella’s parents had claimed that she went missing at the age of 15, almost three decades ago.

    The parents allegedly told other residents that Mirella had been reunited with her biological parents, as per Fakt and TVP3.

    The woman, identified as Mirella, was hospitalized after being rescued from the alleged captivity

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    Yellow ambulance parked on a street near a sidewalk, related to teen missing 27 years discovered living in parents house.

    Image credits: Pomagam

    A fundraiser was started to help cover Mirella’s mental and physical health treatment, as well as her living costs. In the description, friends and neighbors shared more details about her condition during the alleged captivity.

    They say she left the apartment “barely alive” and had leg wounds reaching down to the bone. The 42-year-old woman was also described as “starving and afraid of what would happen next.”

    Doctors allegedly determined that she was only days away from losing her life due to the severe infection in her wounds.

    Police officer escorting a teen missing 27 years from parents’ house in a distressing condition near ambulance.

    Image credits: Pomagam

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    Mirella’s friends claim she was confined to a small room with no contact with the outside world. She allegedly had no access to basic hygiene, was given no menstrual products, and was “rarely” allowed to use the bathroom.

    After being rescued, Mirella was reportedly hospitalized for two months.

    “Much remains unknown, and several facts cannot be revealed at this stage due to the good intentions towards this girl,” the fundraiser description reads. “One thing is certain: the truth must come to light as to why this young, healthy 15-year-old stopped leaving her home and disappeared without a trace.”

    Neighbors contacted police after hearing unusual noises from her family’s apartment late at night

    Three emergency responders, two in black uniforms and one in orange gear, escorting a person along a paved path.

    Image credits: Pomagam

    Severely damaged feet of teen missing 27 years found living in parents house in horrific condition under blankets.

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    Image credits: Pomagam

    Screenshot of a tweet expressing shock about a teen missing 27 years discovered living in parents’ house in horrific condition.

    Image credits: janoskarHansen1

    According to the organizers, Mirella is able to express herself and is “very outgoing and curious about the world,” but she now needs access to everything she was previously denied. This includes money for leg treatment and rehabilitation, dental care, clothing, and psychological support.

    She also needs to develop skills that will increase her chances of finding a job and achieving economic independence in the future. 

    Mirella and her parents initially denied any issues, but police intervened after noticing her severely weakened state

    Woman in a cluttered, dimly lit room depicting teen missing 27 years discovered living in parents’ house condition.

    Image credits: Fakt

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    Luiza, who is involved with the fundraiser, told Fakt that she and Mirella used to spend time together as children and teenagers, and that she remembered her as a “normal, healthy child.” 

    The two would run around the yard and climb trees, and Mirella never appeared weak or had any health issues.

    Teen missing 27 years found living in parents’ house in distressing and neglected condition on a cluttered couch.

    Image credits: Fakt

    Tweet discussing a teen missing for 27 years discovered living in parents’ house in horrific condition.

    Image credits: HabibHb22

    Her friends hope she can now enjoy a world she has never experienced before. “No one can give her back the most beautiful years of her life, but we can build beautiful memories of the life still ahead of her,” read part of the fundraiser.

    Mirella’s parents are about 82 years old, according to the description. It’s unclear whether charges will be filed against them. No charges have been brought so far, authorities told Polish media.

    Police are investigating the case as potential abuse, local prosecutor Agnieszka Kwatera said.

    Her parents allegedly told the community that she had gone missing at age 15

    Elderly woman wearing glasses and face mask, speaking indoors about teen missing 27 years found living in parents’ house.

    Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube

    Rear view of an ambulance with emergency medical service logos and red lettering on yellow background.

    Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube

    Łukasz Pach, director of the Emergency Medical Service in Katowice, told Fakt that, while transporting Mirella from her parents’ home to the hospital, she told them she “hadn’t left her house in over 20 years.”

    Speaking with the newspaper, a neighbor claimed that Mirella’s mother had told her almost 30 years ago that Mirella had been abducted.

    “It was a shock, but what were we supposed to do? They didn’t talk about it. Now it turns out that Mirella had been in that house all those years, and we never saw her once,” they said.

    Police continue collecting and verifying evidence to determine whether a crime was committed

    Police officer wearing glasses speaks outside a building about teen missing 27 years found in parents’ house in poor condition

    Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube

    In a statement, police said there had been no previous police interventions at the residence, and the Municipal Police Headquarters in Świętochłowice had not received “any missing person reports or other disturbing reports regarding the family.”

    One picture shows Mirella lying on a sofa in a room where she reportedly was kept that appears to be filled with her childhood toys.

    The mother told reporters, “We used to go out with her and visit friends at the garden,” but said she could not remember when that was. When asked about the toys, she reportedly said, “I’ll throw those toys away, but I haven’t gotten to that point yet.”

    Exterior view of a multi-story residential building where a teen missing for 27 years was discovered living in horrific condition.

    Image credits: TVP3 Katowice / YouTube


    Officers are collecting, analyzing, and verifying information to determine whether a crime was committed against the 42-year-old woman.

    People have called for the parents to face jail time in light of the revelations

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    Comment by Virginia Johnston saying Evil people with 17 likes on social media post about teen missing 27 years found in parents’ house.

    Comment by Josh Parkinson mentioning a movie based on a true story similar to grounded for life teen missing case.

    Comment from Leon Cook guessing parents face a $500 fine or 2 years prison related to grounded teen missing 27 years case.

    Comment by Ed Munds questioning parents, displayed on a social media platform with blue and white background.

    Comment on social media post by user Wonder Wendy expressing shock with the word Sick in bold black text on a light blue background.

    Comment by Alexizz Guttenbeil saying Lock them up throw away the key on a social media post.

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    Comment by Kim McCluskey stating people are crazy and parents need locked up now in a text message format.

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    Marina Urman

    Marina Urman

    Author, Entertainment News Writer

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    With a degree in social science and a love for culture, I approach entertainment journalism at Bored Panda with a research-driven mindset. I write about celebrity news, Hollywood highlights, and viral stories that spark curiosity worldwide. My work has reached millions of readers and is recognized for balancing accuracy with an engaging voice. I believe that pop culture isn’t just entertainment, it reflects the social conversations shaping our time.

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    Marina Urman

    Marina Urman

    Author, Entertainment News Writer

    With a degree in social science and a love for culture, I approach entertainment journalism at Bored Panda with a research-driven mindset. I write about celebrity news, Hollywood highlights, and viral stories that spark curiosity worldwide. My work has reached millions of readers and is recognized for balancing accuracy with an engaging voice. I believe that pop culture isn’t just entertainment, it reflects the social conversations shaping our time.

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

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    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    What do you think ?
    Tabitha
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just don’t understand people who are lucky enough to have a healthy, normal child, then, for very flimsy reason, purposely try to disable and destroy them. This woman was a healthy, happy, normal 15 year old who, what, had one transgression of the kind that every teenager who ever lived has done, and her punishment is permanent lockdown? A***e? “Disappearance” from all society, all human contact? W*F is wrong with people anymore?

    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've spent my entire life asking myself some form of that exact question - "why did Mom have me/adopt me if she's just going to ábuse me and hate me?" 43 years later, I still haven't found an actual answer. People like Mirella's parents simply don't have the same human empathy and emotions that most of us do.

    Load More Replies...
    Tamra
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, officers need to "determine whether a crime was committed against the 42-year-old woman". The f*ck?!

    Jason Melvil
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At the very least, wouldn't lying to the police and filing a false missing report be a crime?

    Load More Replies...
    Earonn -
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Remember this when people say "parents always know best"! Many safety measures for children are not meant for kids of the 99% of loving parents, they are to protect the children of the 1% parents like this. Poor woman, I hope she can heal from all this.

    Load More Comments
    Tabitha
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just don’t understand people who are lucky enough to have a healthy, normal child, then, for very flimsy reason, purposely try to disable and destroy them. This woman was a healthy, happy, normal 15 year old who, what, had one transgression of the kind that every teenager who ever lived has done, and her punishment is permanent lockdown? A***e? “Disappearance” from all society, all human contact? W*F is wrong with people anymore?

    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've spent my entire life asking myself some form of that exact question - "why did Mom have me/adopt me if she's just going to ábuse me and hate me?" 43 years later, I still haven't found an actual answer. People like Mirella's parents simply don't have the same human empathy and emotions that most of us do.

    Load More Replies...
    Tamra
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, officers need to "determine whether a crime was committed against the 42-year-old woman". The f*ck?!

    Jason Melvil
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At the very least, wouldn't lying to the police and filing a false missing report be a crime?

    Load More Replies...
    Earonn -
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Remember this when people say "parents always know best"! Many safety measures for children are not meant for kids of the 99% of loving parents, they are to protect the children of the 1% parents like this. Poor woman, I hope she can heal from all this.

    Load More Comments
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