A woman has been rescued by officials from a cage in which she had been kept for several years in Minatitlán, Veracruz.

The case was made public after concerned neighbors reported the situation to local media outlets.

Officials from the DIF family services agency found an abandoned house on the property in the Las Piedritas neighborhood. Behind it they found a 16-square-meter metal cage with a naked woman locked inside.

Officials said the woman, aged about 50, appeared to have a mental disability and had been kept confined day and night in plain view of nearby houses.

Neighbors told authorities that the abandoned house belongs to the woman’s sister, who appeared every few days to feed the captive.

DIF staff and other officials continue to investigate the case.

Source: e-consulta (sp)