MAINZ, Germany — A mom kept her adult daughter locked up in a small room "possibly for years," according to German police.
The 26-year-old woman was found living in "shocking circumstances" in a trash-filled apartment in Rosenheim, Germany, on Tuesday.
She was only discovered when her 54-year-old mother was severely injured after plunging several stories down the building’s stairwell. The older woman was about to be evicted and investigators believe she was attempting to take her own life.
Fabian Bernhardt, a police spokesman, told NBC News that officers subsequently discovered the woman behind a locked door in the rundown dwelling.
“Her physical state was shocking,” Bernhardt said. “Colleagues have reported inhumane conditions inside the room and in the whole apartment ... Based on preliminary findings we assume that the daughter was in the room for a longer stretch of time, possibly for years."
The younger woman is believed to be autistic but was still being evaluated by doctors on Wednesday. It was unclear when she might be able to be questioned by police, Bernhardt added.
Investigators continued to search the premises and question neighbors Wednesday morning as they tried to determine how long the daughter had lived there.
The woman’s mother potentially faces unlawful imprisonment charges.