Disabled pair hidden for 40 years

A Palestinian couple locked their disabled son and daughter in two rooms for nearly 40 years afraid they would ruin the marriage prospects of a healthy child if discovered.

Few people in the rural West Bank town of Beit Awwa knew of 38-year-old Basam Musalmeh and his sister Nawal, 42. They were kept since they were children in two dank, crumbling concrete rooms that stank of sweat and urine behind their family's house.

Police found them during a raid, searching for Hamas loyalists and criminals in the village.

Share this article

Send this article to a friend »

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

What are these?