Horror as ‘family of six are trapped in secret farmhouse dungeon’ for nine years

17 October 2019, 09:59 | Updated: 17 October 2019, 10:08

A family-of-six allegedly imprisoned in a basement for nine years are now unable to speak, reports claim.

Dutch police are currently trying to piece together the mystery involving a family who were discovered living in a secret room of a farmhouse in Ruinerwold, Netherlands.

The family of six were discovered after eldest son, Jan Zon van Dorsten, 25, walked into a bar – about 60 miles north of Amsterdam – and asked for help.

He reportedly went into the local cafe on Sunday evening, ordered five beers and told the owner he hadn’t been outside for nine years.

It was apparently his third visit of the week, but the first time he spoke to anyone.

After searching the farmhouse, police found his five siblings aged between 18 and 25, along with their sick father in a secret room behind the staircase.

All are now receiving medical treatment following claims they can no longer talk properly and speak in a bizarre “fantasy language.”

According to the Daily Mail, they were being locked away ‘waiting for the end of time’ – but this has not been confirmed by Austrian officers.

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Austrian man Josef B, 58 was arrested at the scene and it’s now reported he used to live next door to the family. Josef is due in court today, October 17.

In a statement, investigators said: “We found six people living in a small space in the house which could be locked, not a cellar.

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“It is unclear if they resided there voluntarily. They say they are a family, a father and five children.”

Photos of eldest son Jan Zon van Dorsten have since circulated online, showing he was active on social media in the months prior to the family’s discovery.

One post on his public Facebook, made on June 6, spoke about his new job at Creconat.

According to local media, Creconat is associated with a timber company called Native Creative Economy which is owned by carpenter Josef B.

Investigators have confessed they are baffled by the case, with Mayor de Groot telling reporters yesterday: “I understand there are a lot of questions. We have many too. The police are investigating all possible scenarios.”

Speaking about the inside of the house, he added: “The police found a number of rooms with makeshift furnishings where the family lived a withdrawn existence.”

A statement from local police said Josef B is refusing to cooperate but is currently being interrogated.