Woman Held Captive and Abused by Father for 24 Years

Elisabeth Fritzl (42) was held captive for 24 years in the basement of her father Josef Fritzl (73).  During her imprisonment she was sexually abused by her Josef who fathered seven children with her.

Josef kept his own daughter Elisabeth in a homemade dungeon, where the entrance was hidden in his home office.  He seized, drugged and locked his own daughter in his hidden cellar when she was 19 years old.  During her stay in confinement she conceived 7 children, one which died.  Three of the children (age 19, 18 & 5) lived in the dungeon with their mother, while the other three lived normal lives with Josef and his oblivious wife.  Josef told his wife that the children was left to them by their daughter who had run of and joined a sect.  Josef lived in Amstetten, a small town in eastern Austria, and his appalling crime was discovered after one of the children that was kept in confinement was brought to the hospital. Read more about this crazy story at Reuters or Times Online

Austria has also had other high profile cases of people having someone locked up in their basement, where the most recent was probably with Natascha Kampusch.  So two questions come to mind: what’s with Austrians and keeping people locked up in their basements? And, do most Austrians have a hidden room in their house? Hans, I pass the ball to you, who should have some first hand knowledge with this (I mean Austrians, not keeping people locked up in your basement).

Josef Fritzl’s house in Amstetten, Austria

The secret basement where Elisabeth Fritzl was kept for 24 years