Woman with Down's Syndrome found locked in basement for 10 years

A woman suffering from Down's Syndrome was found locked up in a deplorable condition in a small room under the family-owned home in Kampung Pasir Pekan Hulu, here, on Friday.

Tumpat district police chief, Supt Zaharuddin Rasip said the victim, in her 30s, was believed to have been locked up by her siblings in a room measuring 5.8 square metres and over two metres high for the last 10 years after the death of their parents.

Police who received information from the public about the victim, at about 3.30pm, had to cut the grilles of the room to release her.

He said at that time, no other member of the family was in the house and the initial police investigation found that the victim was being looked after by her older brother who lived nearby.

"We want to find out why she was locked up although from our initial investigation, it was because they were worried she might wander around outside," he said.

Zaharuddin said the victim had been sent to Tumpat Hospital by a member of the Civil Defence Department for a check-up.

Meanwhile, a resident of the village, Rubiah Abdullah, 54, said she was sad and did not realise the victim had been locked up like that in the house.

Bernama found the victim to be emaciated and the place where she was locked up, soiled with faeces.

On June 21, a handicapped teenager was found locked up in a deplorable state in a flat in Taman Semarak, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.