Romania: 27 vulnerable individuals rescued from 'house of horrors' in Olt

Romanian authorities conducted a significant intervention in Mihăești, Olt county, on August 13, 2026, to remove 27 vulnerable individuals from a private home where they were allegedly housed in substandard conditions. The operation involved a coordinated effort by national and county-level institutions, including the National Authority for the Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANPDPD).

The individuals, comprising people with disabilities and the elderly, were reportedly under the care of a private citizen for years. However, authorities stated that the living conditions were improper and that the individual's activities did not constitute an accredited and licensed social service. The intervention aimed to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of these vulnerable people.

Representatives from the Prefect's Institution, the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, SMURD, the General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC), the County Police Inspectorate, and the County Gendarmerie Inspectorate participated in the operation. They ensured that the rescued individuals received medical support, food, and adequate transportation, including assistance with retrieving personal belongings.

Following their removal from the unaccredited facility, the 27 individuals were informed about the availability of social services in accredited and licensed centers tailored to their specific needs. Most were transferred to social service institutions in their home counties, such as Giurgiu, Bucharest, Dâmbovița, Constanța, and Teleorman, with a few being placed with families. The operation underscored the authorities' commitment to ensuring vulnerable populations have access to proper care and safe living environments.

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A team coordinated by the president of the National Authority for the Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANPDPD), along with representatives of county institutions – the Institution of the Prefect, the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, SMURD, DGASPC, the County Police Inspectorate, and the County Gendarmerie Inspectorate – carried out an action in the commune of Mihăești, Olt county, to protect persons in a vulnerable situation. Within the action, 27 vulnerable persons, persons with disabilities and elderly persons, were removed from a space where they were housed in improper conditions, at a private individual's home, without the activity carried out constituting an accredited and licensed social service, under the law.