Amsterdam (dpa) -A team of 25 officers is investigating the case of a Dutch family found living for years in an isolated farm cellar in the Netherlands, police said on Wednesday.
The family, comprising six adult children - aged 18 to 25 - and their father, is believed to have lived on the farm near the village of Ruinerwold, in the eastern province of Drenthe, since 2010.
A 58-year-old Austrian man who apparently rented the property and did repair work on it has been detained on the allegation that he refused to cooperate with the investigation.
An Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman told dpa that the man had refused consular help from his home country. Police said they would continue to question the man.
Dutch media have reported that the family had been living in isolation as they awaited the "end of time."
The family was discovered after one of the sons, aged 25, sought help in a nearby pub earlier this week.
Residents of the town were in shock, telling reporters that they had only ever seen a man at the property and were unaware of the family.
The farm is hidden behind trees and about 200 metres from the edge of town. According to reports, there was a large vegetable garden and goats, allowing the family to sustain itself.
They were discovered after one family member left the farm, visited a local bar and raised the alarm.
Unconfirmed reports said the family had withdrawn from society, fearing the end of the world was approaching.
Dutch media reported Wednesday that the 25-year-old man who raised the alarm had been active in recent weeks on social media, including saying that he worked for a company run by the suspect who is to be charged.
