A resident of the Czech Republic kept a woman on a chain in a basement for three months (4 photos)
A man in the Czech Republic kidnapped a 27-year-old woman he knew and locked her in a basement, raping and starving her. The victim looked like someone who had been through a concentration camp. 
"It's horrible. I would never have thought that something like this could happen here," said a resident of the village of Sirem, which is about 50 km northwest of the capital Prague.
The accused, 40-year-old truck driver Karel N., did not live in the village. He had occupied an empty house where he had kept his victim since November. Last week, she narrowly escaped when her abductor was not home. 
“I was woken up by the doorbell at three in the morning,” said a neighbor. “I looked out the window and there was a young woman standing there. I was terribly scared. She looked terrible. I took her into the house, she fell down, cried and desperately begged for help. She said that her friend had raped her, chained her up, starved her and tortured her. He only occasionally gave her water and food in bowls, like a dog.”
Another resident said: “She had a chain around her neck, and she was skin and bones, like she was in a concentration camp.” 
Kamil Marek, a police spokesman, told reporters that the perpetrator had been arrested.
Czech media reports that Karel lured his first victim to this house four years ago. He was sentenced to three years for rape and forcible confinement. However, in 2022, after filing an appeal, he was released on parole. 
“I knew the accused, he was in a relationship with my aunt. He offered me a job as a hostess. I was unemployed and jumped at the chance. We agreed that I would come to him to take some photos and sign a contract,” the first victim told the court.
Instead, Karel muzzled the 22-year-old girl, hung her up in chains and began to shock her. According to available information, the criminal was assisted by an accomplice. If found guilty, the man could face up to 12 years in prison.
