Stockholm, Sweden – A 70-year-old woman from Sweden is accused of isolating her son for decades.

On Monday morning, the Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that a relative of the family had found the now 41-year-old man in a run-down apartment. He had been cut off from the outside world since he was 12 years old.

Police did not provide further details of the case, but confirmed that the mother was under arrest.

She is under investigation for deprivation of liberty and grievous bodily harm, but denies all accusations.

The relative told Expressen that she had long suspected the woman of locking up her son. As soon as she heard that the 70-year-old was in the hospital, she went to the apartment. "It was like a horror movie," she told the newspaper.

The apartment was dark and covered in litter. The man was sitting in a corner on the floor and could barely speak.

The man had only a few teeth and several wounds on his legs. The relative immediately called an ambulance. At the hospital, doctors alerted the police.

The public prosecutor's office announced that the man was still in the hospital. There were no comments on the nature of his injuries.