A 27-YEAR-OLD woman who claims she was imprisoned by her own parents in a shack behind their house for 17 years, was released into state care on Tuesday.

According to Antenna TV, upon assessment by a state psychiatrist the, woman was deemed in need of urgent psychiatric treatment and has been transferred to the psychiatric care. The report refused to name the location of the village, but confirmed it was in the Morphou district west of Nicosia.

Originally imprisoned as a young girl after completing her first year of high school, the woman says she was kept without electricity or running water in unhygienic conditions by her own parents.

The mukhtar of the village where the incident is said to have taken place, told the TV channel that he had informed the state Welfare Services of the case five years ago, while authorities maintain that they had heard nothing until the new Head of Police for the Morphou district sent them a letter requesting they investigate.

Village residents were unwilling to talk to journalists about the case, according to Antenna, who broke the case on Tuesday.

Justice Minister Loucas Louca said: “Police will examine all particulars of this case. At first sight, no prosecutable offence has presented itself.”

According to police, they are currently investigating possible charges in the case and, if so, what charges can be brought and against whom.

After the story had broken, residents are said to have contacted the TV station to let them know that of a second similar case involving another girl who disappeared 10 years ago and is also imprisoned in their village.

There has been no corroboration of these reports as of yet and no further details on its particulars are currently available.