Using paper and hand sanitizer to escape 20 years of imprisonment by stepmother

(CLO) Imprisoned for nearly 20 years, a man in Connecticut, USA, set himself on fire using printing paper and hand sanitizer to escape, revealing the tragedy of his prolonged captivity and abuse.

On February 17th, police in Waterbury, Connecticut, received a report of a house fire. Upon arriving at the scene, they found Kimberly Sullivan and her 32-year-old stepson. The woman escaped safely, while her son sustained injuries from smoke inhalation and exposure to the flames.

What was shocking was that the man himself had started the fire. He told police that his stepmother had held him captive for nearly 20 years in a room locked with plywood. Each day, he was only given two sandwiches and a little water.

The fire was meticulously planned: printing paper to start the fire, hand sanitizer as fuel, and a lighter he found in his late father's jacket. When rescued, he weighed only about 32 kg, his hair was disheveled, his body was filthy, and his teeth were almost completely broken.

Kimberly Sullivan was arrested on March 12. Photo: Waterbury Police Department

According to the investigation records, this man was confined by his stepmother from a young age, forbidden from contact with the outside world, and only allowed out of his room to do housework. He was never allowed to have friends and was only permitted to have fun on Halloween. The last time he went trick-or-treating was when he was 12 years old, dressed as a firefighter.

When he was about 14 or 15 years old, he went with his father to take out the garden trash. That was the last time he left the house, although he was allowed out of his small room each day for anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours.

His father died in January 2024, making his confinement even worse. He is only allowed out for a few minutes each day to let his dog out. The rest of the time, he is locked in his room for 22 to 24 hours.

Police arrested Kimberly Sullivan on charges of assault, kidnapping, and cruel treatment. However, her lawyer maintains that these allegations are "completely untrue" and that she did not detain the victim.

Currently, the victim is in stable condition at a medical facility and will undergo a process of physical and mental recovery. Waterbury city officials have raised funds to purchase him clothing, books, and other necessities to support his reintegration into society.

Ngoc Anh (according to WFSB, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/dung-giay-va-nuoc-rua-tay-de-tron-thoat-sau-20-nam-bi-me-ke-giam-cam-va-doi-xu-tan-ac-post338650.html