A 33-year-old man has been arrested for holding his wife captive in their home for seven years under threats of death against her and their four children, an Argentine court official said Saturday.

His 24-year-old wife, identified as Sofia, had been locked in their small home in the Buenos Aires suburb of Guernica, where she was subjected to beatings, abuse and threats, the court official said.

Police released the woman after she informed her sister of her captivity through Facebook messages and neighbors confirmed the spousal abuse.

"Thanks to indications the victim was able to give her neighbors through signs or gestures indicating she had been abducted, we were able to get to her," said German Di Pascual, a court administrator.

He added that the victim's family knew her husband kept her captive, but they were unaware of the location.

Family members said in court they "never dared to break into the houses where they suspected she might be because her partner was so dangerous," Di Pascual said. "They all are afraid of the defendant because they say he is an aggressive person who carries firearms."

The woman, who had four children by the defendant before being rescued Friday, rarely left their home "and when she did, she was accompanied by her captor, so she could not ask for help," Di Pascual said. "One witness reported that when he occasionally saw them, she was able to express in short sentences the situation she was in and to ask for help with signs." (AFP)