POLICE have rescued a middle-aged woman who had been locked in an underground dark cellar by her own family so she would not harm other people.

The 45-year-old woman, identified only by her surname of Peng, has reportedly been suffering from a severe mental disorder ever since she was hit by a car.

Peng, who lives in the township of Xixia, in Pingshan County of south-western China’s Sichuan Province, was classified as mentally ill by the local town government after being detained for breaking her neighbours’ doors and windows.

In 2012, the Xixia township government subsidised four different stays in mental hospitals, and she returned home in a stable state after the successful administration of psychiatric drugs.

But reports said her parents began worrying again after her violent symptoms returned and had no choice but to lock her up in the cellar of their home.

She spent her days in the underground dungeon-like room and was fed food and water through the gaps in the metal bars.

It wasn’t until residents discovered her inhumane treatment that local authorities were contacted.

Township officials have since freed Peng from the cellar and are planning to send her for another round of treatment.

Reports said Peng’s mother will be accompanying her during her treatment, suggesting that the confined woman’s parents will not receive any punishment for locking their own daughter up underground.