Fritzl case

Geschichte

The Fritzl case emerged in April 2008 when a woman named Elisabeth Fritzl told police in the town of Amstetten, Austria, that she had been held captive for 24 years behind eight locked doors in a concealed corridor part of the basement area of the large family house by her father, Josef Fritzl, and that Fritzl had physically assaulted, sexually abused, and raped her numerous times during her imprisonment. The abuse by her father resulted in the birth of seven children; three of whom remained in captivity with their mother, one of whom died just days after birth and the other three of whom were brought up by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, having been reported as foundlings.Elisabeth Fritzl's confinementJosef confined Elisabeth, tricking her into the basement, when she was 18 years old. Three of Elisabeth's children, born during her confinement, were imprisoned with their mother: 19-year-old (at time of release) daughter Kerstin and sons Stefan, 18, and Felix, 5. Another, Michael, died of respiratory problems three days after birth, having been deprived of all medical help; his body was incinerated by Josef Fritzl on his property.The three other children were raised by Josef and his wife Rosemarie in the upstairs home. Josef claimed that he had discovered the children outside his house as foundlings: Lisa at 9 months in 1993, Monika at 10 months in 1994, and Alexander at 15 months in 1997. When the eldest daughter, Kerstin, became seriously ill, Josef acceded to Elisabeth's pleas to take her to a hospital, triggering a series of events that eventually led to their discovery.