Woman imprisoned daughter with rats and cats for 26 years

When retired Russian woman Tatyana Bushueva was taken to the hospital, the abuse she inflicted on her daughter, Nadezhda Bushueva, was revealed. The elderly woman reportedly kept her daughter imprisoned at home for years. The two women lived in a filthy home overrun with rats and cats. After regaining her freedom, Nadezhda hopes to find work and get a passport.

The other residents of the village of Arefinsky in western Russia had very little contact with the mother and daughter. Since the age of 16, Nadezhda was reportedly not allowed to leave the home. Tatyana kept stopping her daughter from going out to the point where Nadezhda gave up trying. The now 43-year-old daughter has not left the home in 26 years, she told the local authorities.

Tatyana had been in touch with the outside world while she was working. After she retired, she became extremely reclusive. She refused the help offered by social services and other officials. Fearing for the safety of her daughter, she stopped her from completing her education and finding a job. Nadezhda claims that she got used to being trapped in her home.

The two women slept on the same bed. The home had no running water and electricity. Nadezhda admitted that she had not taken a bath since 2006. The hair on her head was severely matted and clumps of it had to be cut off.

Rats and cats were seen running around freely in the home. The cats had short lives and after they die, their bodies were left to decay inside the home. Nadezhda claimed that the cats had more freedom than she did. She stated that she felt like the living dead without any existence.

It is unclear why Tatyana was taken to the hospital. However, it is speculated that she suffered a stroke. The Sun reported that Nadezhda was so fearful of the outside world that she refused to go with her mother to the hospital.

In the absence of Tatyana, Nadezhda spoke to local council leader Vasily Tovarnov. Tovarnov was shocked at the state the woman was in. He offered her food which she refused to have. Tovarnov insists that Nadezhda "is not insane." She apparently asked him to help her get a passport and a job. Worried that she is not prepared to face the world, Nadezhda does not want her life to change much.