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POLICE IN GERMANY are investigating the case of a 43-year-old man who lived in isolation at his parents’ home in Bavaria for three decades.
The man has been taken to a psychiatric hospital and German police are investigating whether his parents did anything wrong.
Police went to the home in Freienfels, in southeastern Germany near Bayreuth, on 21 September after receiving a tip and found the man in a neglected condition, police spokesman Juergen Stadter said today.
“The man was unkempt, unwashed, but well nourished,” Stadter said.
But he wasn’t constrained and had several rooms to himself where he could move around freely.
Police are now investigating whether the man stayed inside for all those years of his own will or if his parents forced him to stay at home.
The Guardian reports that a police spokesman said they were investigating whether the man had been allowed to leave the property at all.
“We still don’t know exactly for how long the man has had no contact with the outside world and … whether or not he was allowed to leave the property at all,” the police spokesman said.
But we can say he was held in isolation.
The man’s parents, who are in their late 70s, are under investigation on suspicion of possible deprivation of freedom and causing bodily harm by neglect.
“We assume that he was suffering from some kind of handicap,” Stadter said, adding that as a boy the man went to elementary school, but then stopped attending school at 13 because he was declared unfit to attend.
Stadter would not give further details on what exactly kept the man from attending school, citing privacy concerns.
The man’s mother, who wasn’t named, was quoted as telling the local Nordbayerischer Kurier newspaper that the parents’ didn’t lock him up and “he didn’t want to go outside”.
She said she “always wanted to protect him,” and indicated that as a little boy, her son was treated badly by his schoolmates, the newspaper said.
Local authorities said the man didn’t initially want to leave the house and had to be convinced to go, news agency DPA reported.
with reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald
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Looks good. 360,000 sq feet should provide employment for 4,000 workers.
More high density developments in the centre of Cork & Dublin please. And we need some tall buildings, we don’t want the whole of our city centres to look like low rise business parks.
Did you just look at the pictures Cal…..’The project will create 350 construction jobs and will be capable of hosting some 3,000 employees when fully occupied.’
Good news for Cork but you’d have to worry about the trend of companies leaving the city centre for industrial estates in the suburbs. One Albert Quay looks great but across the river you have hundreds of feet of empty office space. My friend was working for Bord Gais and they were the last company to move out of a now completely empty office building a two minute walk away from One Albert.
Its most likely because the office’s they were in were outdated. Refurbish those offices and you’ll see them snapped up.
Agree,and then there is Trinity Quarter and Sullivan’s Quay to start also.I hope that they have tenants for all these office blocks.What companies need to start up a European HQ ?.
We had a company move out of Cork city in search of lower rent, and move on down to the Crossahaven road to an industrial estate just outside Carrigaline (a major satellite town). They spent 6 months there beofre having to move back into the city suburbs as the broadband was so poor they couldn’t use it to communicate effectively with their international clients. Employed 50 people.
The same happened in Dublin from the 90s. Companies leaving central Dublin for new developments in the suburbs. The reverse is happening now. Companies want to locate in the city.
The aerial view gives a better perspective.
http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/new-albert-quay-project-to-deliver-e90m-boost-for-cork-city/1888011/
This was the same piece of land that the developer planned to build an events centre but lost out to the Beamish site. The problem with building office space within the city centre is more to do with the lack of sites as it is to do with the will to locate there. This is a nice start to the proposed and ever waited for Dockland Development plan. Having a building of this quality better serves to invite companies into the available lands adjacent to it.
That particular spot on the quays is in need of redevelopment so I welcome it.
What about the elisian that 85% empty
Well this should help that no end.
@ Random – The Elysian is a residential building that never reduced their prices (Penthouses still circa €2M). This development is for much needed quality office space. The demand for One Albert Quay up the road was high and had almost sold out before the foundations were laid. This is a welcome development for progressing the regeneration of the docklands.
There’s big company’s in cork like abtram Apple emc that need all there staff under one roof not spread all over the city in small office space these company’s are hiring thousands of people in cork, abtram have there staff in 3 locations in the city and they probably would like an office space like this
@ random It’s a joke. But if they rented or put on the market it would lower rents across the city centre. As long as FF and FG are in power this won’t happen.
Was that not Horgans Quay?
The offices the chap is talking about that Bord Gais were new state of the art offices……everybody fell out with the landlord.
Please don’t turn our docklands into soulless office space. There’s a history to the area and an odd beauty about the place. I’m all for redevelopment but please give it the charm it deserves. Adapt it to be and extension of the city and a place where people want to be rather than have to be. We don’t need to turn cork into a mini dublin and with a bit of foresight we could turn it into something unique. And there’s plenty of space for this development close to the docs just in behind. But let’s keep the waterfront beautiful. Please.
I don’t really see a problem with office waterfronts, they tend bring improvements to the wharfs/boardwalks around with them and as long as there’s a nice walkway created here I think glass and steel office blocks are fine. What I’d like to see as part of this is a plan to extend a walk and cycle path along here to ultimately connect with the marina when the port is fully moved.
I’d worry about traffic on the adjacent bridges, we really could use that extra bridge in Cork now but the convention centre going to the Beamish site might have ruined that plan. On the plus side, the Elysian might fill up!
Are you taking the p? These were docklands…ie docks, where containers were loaded from ships. An entirely functional part of the city. There was never any “charm”…get a time machine and ask the dock workers there if they found their work “charming”….Move on with the times please.
Agree with improving amenities here a link to marina would be great. I think I had my location a little off looking at the picture again this appears to be on the sextant to idle hour block which I’ll concede is not so bad. It’s really the next section with the bonded warehouses etc I think should be people/visitor friendly rather than a commercial park. Obviously we need people in the area first so good and not empty office space is needed. But over commercialising any area does make it pretty soulless. You just have to look at the boardwalk area across from 1 Albert quay. Empty office space and nobody there at night other than drunks.
Are you actually from cork city cal? Give me any city where high density office space gives charm to an area?
There is a danger of stretching the city centre too far, I agree Johnny, but I think we need developments like this to attract big employers. I don’t think these places will ever by vibrant at night, any more than the north and south docklands in Dublin are.
I live very close by and I can get to Cork airport (or home) in under 10 minutes in good traffic, 20 at busier times and 30 in very heavy traffic. This is a great location for large office developments, and will surely lead to the development of homes within the docklands area. They will maybe feel soulless, and without charm, but a modern vibrant city must have these functional living/working spaces that only operate during the week. The key, as you say, is to have good public amenities that make the area a destination at weekends and in the evenings.
There’s an opportunity to develop the old passage west railway walk/cycleway to extend right up to Albert Quay – a fitting opening given this site will subsume the old Albert Quay railway station.
I’d expect backfill of more light industrial space between here an Pairc Ui Caoimh as part of that development
I think We almost agree on this ronan. But a city does not automatically become vibrant because people have nice space to work in. That merely brings in the people. What makes it vibrant is what people and very importantly visitors do when they are not working. I’m not talking about stretching the city centre but creating a space within easy reach of the centre where people can congregate and enjoy day and night. In fairness cork city centre is pretty small. If we surround it with large developments offering nothing more than work and accommodation the centre will reach capacity pretty soon. I’m am completely for development but without considering public amenities this could have a significant negative impact on the city. That said there is still undeveloped space in the area that would be great so hopefully they wind just blanket the area in glass houses.
No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying that these developments won’t inject vibrancy. We cannot create a new town which has the cultural feel of an old town. There are examples of designated growth towns throughout the UK which have demonstrated this. I’ve spent some time in Swindon, for example, which has a lovely old town and a soulless new town.
We can try to create commercial space for restaurants and coffee shops to open in, but I think that feel of a Paul Street / Rory Gallagher Plaza, or an Oliver Plunkett st can’t be manufactured. As such these developments invariably end up with an O’Brien’s that doesn’t open on weekends, but satisfies the lunch time rush from adjacent offices.
I think the pubs in the area will do very well, and they are part of buildings which have a nice look and feel. An I think we might see a re-invigoration of the old lobby/charlies/phoenix area for restaurants etc.
Looking at the plans more I think the old counting house is somewhat cannibalised, but I’ll reserve judment until I see it. I don’t like the plans for the old custom house across the channel (to be a museum) which seems to just bolt glass and steel onto its roof.
I see a day when the commercial centre of Cork City begins to move into the South Mall as more office space becomes available in more modern facilities in the Docklands
Not overly enthusiastic about the custom house / bonded warehouse area becoming a museum. Seems like a waste of a nice spot. Surely the r&h hall as a listed building would be better (if I’m not mistaken this is listed and so can’t be removed). As it is essentially a grain silo it’s hard to see what else could go in there. But bonded warehouses is the area I really think should be a site for bars restaurants etc. I know you cant recreate a feel but what’s there has character and could be used to better effect. I know the space is probably not suitable for obriens, Costa or nandos but why are places like these all we can envisage when we plan areas like this. Moving all shipping out to tivoli opens up the possibility of expanding the tiny marina around this area. Cork harbour is safe and so a great amenity for pleasure craft and an almost city centre marina would be a great draw. Not sure if you were around for the safe harbour festival in September but what was done there was really great (even though the weather was shocking). But the hipsters have the right idea! At the very least it would still be interesting and a better reason to live in the area.
Beauty? The whole area looks like a dystopian dump! The only feature of worth is being maintained (the limestone facade).
I agree johnny, the custom house area would be great for little cafes, bars, some municipal studio space and maybe even a cheeky urban beach type yoke in summer. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to St Katherine’s dock in London near the Tower Bridge, but it’s a fantastic example of mixed marina and nightlife.
Which limestone facade are you talking about bill?
Completely agree ronan. Keep it low key and trendy it could be great and a place you would want to go. Loads of space for outdoor seating etc. (all weather of course). Would be a shame to see anything else there as it’s the last of the good spots close to the centre.
All in favour of office development, but “transformational” is a bit of a stretch isn’t it lads?
Looks good, the city needs a lot of investment. Neglected for so many years. Looks like a smaller version of a development on the Merrion road in Dublin.
Cork city hasn’t been neglected, there has been constant urban renewal since the early 2000′s when Cork was awarded the European City of Culture. Like every other city in Ireland many of the smaller city centre shops were vacant during the recession but the council and developers never stopped upgrading the city. EG. One Albert Quay 2014-15, Fitzgerald’s Playground 2015, Cork City Bike Scheme 2015, Fitzgerald’s Park & Mardyke Gardens 2014, Oliver Plunkett St 2014, Carrigrohane Park 2013, Cornmarket St 2010, Opera lane 2009, Half Moon Street 2008, Grand Parade 2008, The entire City centre 2002-04 and much much more.
How have we gone from Nama to this?
Increase demand for office space and reduced selling prices means sites are now economical to build on.
Not saying that there is a huge recovery but how much of taxpayers property eg Nama managed property has been sold for peanuts?
The property was over paid for in the first place, on the back of worthless guarantees from developers and terrible finance structuring by our banks.
Nama was a bailout for professional classes who had leveraged investments in property, but Nama also prevented a firesale of these assets for even less than the peanuts you’re describing.
One way or another, vultures were going to keep or pick off these assets without the loans being paid off.
Never forget what happened, and who was involved, but we have to move on and sustainable development is necessary.
It was overpaid for alright and the taxpayer is still paying for it and will be for years to come. I agree we have to move on and look forward to the future but we don’t need history repeating itself again!
Meanwhile in Waterford ………………………….
This country needs some sort alternative to Dublin, at the very least to ease the pressure on the capital. Cork has a foundation of major multinational investment and the population (along with two major universities) to provide a base workforce. Waterford doesn’t.
Let me take a brief moment out of my day to tell you explain to you why you’re stupid. The south east of Ireland (which Waterford is the major city in that region) is the largest geographical area without a university. That also holds true per populous. I don’t expect you to understand what that means but essentially the south east can’t compete with the likes of Cork and Dublin because it has no proper 3rd level institute.
Niall institutes of technology are probably more useful than universities in the modern era.
There are two ITs in the South-East. Just giving one of them the title university would just be stroke politics. More meaningful would be to get them investment to increase the amount of research going on and reduce academic/student ratios.
No employer ever looked away from an MIT or Caltech graduate because they came from somewhere called Institute of Technology. On the other hand, there are many dodgy places with the title university that would never be considered.
No it wouldn’t. You award university status to the IT that is nearest to realising the required criteria. Carlow IT is nowhere near technological university status.
Great Cal. Now, could you get a job in the IDA and tell that to companies looking to invest in regions with universities? Be grand then.
Niall,I agree fully,Waterford also needs investment and infrastructure etc as does Limerick and Galway.Its in the Economics handbook that you start killing a country if you put all your eggs in the one basket i.e Dublin.You can also see this at present with the airport imbalance.
I hear you Niall. Unfortunately we have a government who’s policies are Heavily invested in trickle down economics. Always enjoy time spent in Waterford
two universities?
Looks like quite the development and just what that particular part of the city needs, in addition to One Albert Quay recently completed.
On a lighter note, this is where the Nightmare Realm takes place around Halloween each year, they’ll have to find somewhere else!
Badly needed
“Significant quantum of space” . This is the same a saying big tiny space. Good to know the developers are still able to bamboozle us with their s#ite talk.
What about FISCAL SPACE lol…
The planners in Cork think the population is reducing so why grant permission ? They planned for huge reduction in crime by building a new prison that holds 250 inmates — the old prison had a max capacity of 300. I suppose Brown Envelopes are involved as most people think crime is going up and more prisons are needed not less.
Firstly yes the population of Cork City is down to 120,000. That’s simply because it’s a compact city with a lack of office space to bring people into the city and create a vibrant need for apartment space. The city boundary is quite small and quite frankly ridiculous when you consider the large urbanised areas outside the boundary. The metropolitan area has a population of 320,ooo people and the county as a whole stands at 520,000. This has grown year on year. With respect to the prison which replaced a Victorian building it was a badly needed change and even if we all struggle in some way when it comes to improving conditions for criminals please remember that it also improved safety for staff too and working conditions. Each one of the cells can be upgraded to double capacity too if necessary
I always thought the metro area was ridiculous and included towns like Bandon and Mallow, which are clearly not part of Cork City. I only recently found out that it only includes the likes of Ballincollig, Carrigaline and Glanmire, which are all suburbs of Cork City.
The “population” of Cork is a very fluid notion. The current boundaries cut half of the suburbs out. People leaving the city centre are moving to suburbs like Douglas that are part of the city, but technically not part of the city because of the failure of the councils to reach an agreement on boundary changes.
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