Libyan security authorities have uncovered a deeply disturbing case that has sparked widespread outrage across the country, after a father was found to have confined his autistic son in inhumane conditions for ten years.
According to a statement by the Ajdabiya branch of the Criminal Investigation Department, security services received information indicating that a child named Qusay, born in 2015 and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, was living in severe and degrading conditions.
Following investigations and field inquiries, authorities discovered that the child had been held inside a small room attached to a poultry shed outside the family’s main house. The child had reportedly been kept there for a decade, deprived of basic human rights and isolated from the outside world, without exposure to sunlight since early childhood.
Security forces carried out a raid on the property and found the child in a critical physical and psychological state. Officials confirmed that Qusay was immediately rescued and transferred to Al-Muqrif Hospital in Ajdabiya, where he is currently receiving urgent medical care and close monitoring due to the severe consequences of long-term neglect and abuse.
Initial investigations revealed that the father is an educated man employed in the education sector, a fact that has intensified public shock and condemnation in Libya. Many Libyans expressed disbelief that such abuse could occur within a household linked to an educational institution, raising broader questions about child protection mechanisms and social oversight.
The case has triggered renewed calls for stricter enforcement of child protection laws, improved monitoring of vulnerable children, and stronger accountability for abuse within families. Social activists and medical professionals have stressed the urgent need for specialised support systems for children with disabilities, particularly those with autism, to prevent similar tragedies.
Libyan authorities said investigations are ongoing, and legal measures are expected against those responsible, as the case continues to reverberate across Libyan society.
