The man, 55, has been accused of holding his wife, 53, captive in a flat in the Northern French town of Forbach, which borders Germany, for 12 years.

His wife claimed he kidnapped her in 2011 and was only able to escape when she got old of her husband’s mobile phone and call German police on Sunday.

German officers alerted the French authorities in the Moselle region and carried out a search of the flat on Monday.

However, upon arrival the man reportedly refused officers entry, but they were eventually able to get in.

There officers made a horrifying discovery.

His wife was found locked in a ‘screened room’ semi-naked, with her hair shaved off and indications her fingers and legs had been broken, according to the local media reports.

It also appeared the woman had not been fed for some time, trapped in the bedroom closed off with a metal wire and mental reinforcements on windows.

Since her discovery, the man has been taken into custody and police have carried out further investigations after opening a case.

Her husband was arrested Monday morning on suspicion of kidnap and torture.

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The woman was immediately rushed to hospital, and following medical examinations, her health was described as “not good” by prosecutor Olivier Glady.

He also said nine cats were found in the apartment, as he suggested the reason for the metal bars on the window was to stop them escaping.

Judicial police of Metz reportedly found a “torture bench” in the flat and a notebook with records of his actions and when his victim had been fed, according to the Daily Mail.

Neighbours of the pair said the husband had told them his wife had cancer and was “screaming in pain because of her illness”.

One neighbour, Alicia, told AFP that she heard the screams in the apartment but attributed them to his wife’s illness and even described the man as “very polite”.

While another said she last saw the woman “maybe 10 years ago” and thought “maybe she had died or moved out”.