London, Oct 10 : The police in northern Italy have rescued a women who was kept a prisoner at her home by her husband for about 50 years, the Daily Telegraph has reported.


The woman, who was not allowed to come out of the house alone and not to speak with anyone else, raised an alarm when she was admitted to a hospital for heart problem in Trento, near her home in Val di Non town in northern Italy.

She told doctors that her jealous husband had kept her a prisoner in their home virtually since the day they married in 1958, the newspaper said.

The couple, who were not identified, are both in their seventies and are believed to have two grown-up children.

According to the woman, her husband used to lock her inside the house when he went out, and would not even let her watch the television all these years.

Speaking about the case, a police spokesman said: "Once the hospital informed us of the woman's story we acted immediately and informed the local prosecutor.

"It appears that the woman was kept a virtual prisoner in her own home for 50 years. She was only allowed out when her husband was with her and if he went out on his own he would lock all the doors and windows.

"At 5 p.m. when he came back he would lock the place down, She was not even allowed to see her children and they were not allowed to visit," the police official said Thursday, describing the cruelty of the man.

"It's a very sad story and the woman's life has been made a misery by her husband - if it wasn't for the fact she was admitted to hospital and bravely decided to speak out her ordeal would have continued," the official added.

Trento prosecutor Fabio Biasi has begun an investigation into the matter and requested an order for the man to be taken to secure accommodation while the investigation continued.