A woman in Poland is sharing her side of the story after being discovered severely malnourished in her parents’ home — nearly three decades after neighbors believed she had vanished.
The woman, identified only as Mirella in local outlets, was found in July inside a residence in Świętochłowice, roughly 180 miles from Warsaw, according to local media including Fakt, TVP3, and Super Express, citing police sources.
Mirella was 15 when she disappeared around 1998. For years, neighbors say her parents told them she was missing, according to Fakt and TVP3. When people asked questions, her parents reportedly claimed she had been reunited with her biological family.
Now, Mirella is speaking publicly and insists she wasn’t being held against her will.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Oct. 14, police said their investigation does not “clearly indicate” that Mirella had been kept in the apartment against her will for all these years, per rmf 24, Fakt, and Gazeta Wyborcza.
Authorities are still examining whether psychological or physical abuse occurred, though no charges have been filed.
“We are collecting evidence and will verify all statements,” local prosecutor Sabina Kuśmierska told Fakt. “There are many threads in this case; we have not yet interviewed her parents or neighbors. We are conducting the investigation for possible psychological and physical abuse.”
Before her disappearance, Mirella reportedly had a normal school life. Her former principal told Fakt that she was removed from school in September 1997, just a few months into high school, “at the request of her parents.”
After she was found, neighbors launched a fundraiser to help her recover.
“I haven’t gone out for a long time — I can’t remember,” Mirella told Fakt.
Mirella was discovered on July 29 when police responded to reports of a domestic argument at the home. Officers found Mirella’s 81-year-old mother, who said she had been fighting with her husband, though he wasn’t present at the time, rmf 24 reported, citing Świętochłowice police.
Mirella spoke briefly with officers and claimed there were no problems, but when police noticed her poor condition, they called for medical help, according to rmf 24 and Fakt.
She was taken to a hospital for treatment and later discharged — returning to her parents’ home, Fakt reported.
