Man is Accused of Raping His Wife and Keeping Her Locked in A Cellar

A husband has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for imprisoning his wife in a dark cellar where she was raped by him and his brothers.

The shocking incident took place in the small village of Parszczyce in Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland and the husband, Mariusz Sz., abused his wife between 2006 and 2010, two years of which she was kept locked in their cellar.

The victim, who has not been named in reports, was beaten, starved and repeatedly raped by her husband - dubbed the Polish Fritzl in local media - and allegedly by his two brothers and a friend.

In the initial sentencing in June 2017, judge Marta Urbanska emphasised that the victim 'was imprisoned in a cold, dark cellar, in which she was deprived the possibility of taking care of her personal hygiene and the possibility of dealing with her physiological needs under dignified conditions'.

Urbanska added: 'She was starved, forced to eat meals with her bound hands in a kneeling position. Meals were prepared in a manner that denied her dignity.'

Mariusz Sz.'s two brothers Andrzej and Marian Sz. and their friend Tadeusz B. have now been charged with raping the victim whilst she was imprisoned and face a minimum of three years and a maximum of 15 years in prison if found guilty, according to Grazyna Wawryniuk, spokeswoman of the Gdansk prosecutor's office. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Reports suggest Mariusz Sz. had 'rented' his wife out for £4.20, putting a bag over her head and letting paying men rape her.

It is not known how many men raped the victim in total and police are still investigating.

The victim eventually managed to escape the cellar and call her mother as she was fearful for the safety of her two daughters, one of whom, four years old, had reportedly been sexually abused.

Local media state she reported the case to the police but she was dismissed three times before an investigation was eventually opened.