The Girl Who Was Locked Away

The first six years of Danielle's life were spent locked away in a walk-in closet in Florida. A child without a childhood. Without human warmth. Without cuddles. Nobody talked to her. She never learned to speak, to eat or to walk. Although her mother knew she existed, this knowledge didn't lead to any motherly attention. An anonymous caller informed the police, sadly much too late though. Danielle was taken into care. Since then she has been adopted by her foster parents. They made it possible for the photographer Melissa Lyttle to reconstruct the life of the girl who is now 10 years old. Danielle hasn't managed to catch up on all the deficits resulting from her early childhood, but she has made progress thanks to love and patience. Melissa Lyttle's request: if you suspect that a child is being abused – contact the authorities!

According to a UNICEF study on violence against children in industrialised countries, 3500 children a year under the age of 15 die in those countries from physical neglect. That is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more less spectacular cases that are therefore overlooked. Cases of physical and mental neglect and abuse that don't lead to death happen much more frequently. They happen in secret, most often in families.