Josef Fritzl
Josef Fritzl kept his daughter Elisabeth Fritzl locked in a room in his basement for 24 years, raping her repeatedly and impregnating her at least seven times. Three of the children that resulted from these pregnancies continued to live in the basement, while three others were brought to the surface and adopted by Fritzl and his wife.The imprisonment of Elisabeth and her children was discovered after her daughter became sick and was brought to the hospital.1
Fast Facts
- Job: Electrical engineer2
- Wife: Rosemarie1
- Children by Elisabeth: Seven, six surviving1
- 1984: Drugged Elisabeth and locked her in the basement1
- Told his wife Elisabeth had joined a sect1
- 1996: Allegedly burnt corpse of Elisabeth's dead child3
- 1993, 1994, 1997: Brought 3 children by Elisabeth to live with himself and Rosemarie2
- Told Rosemarie Elisabeth could no longer take care of the children in the sect1
- In April 2008, one of Elisabeth's children, Kerstin, became sick and was brought to the hospital1
- Elisabeth had hid a note on Kerstin that described the situation1
- On April 28, 2008, Fritzl confessed to imprisoning his daughter in the windowless basement cell3
- Charged with murder in November 2008 due to refusing medical attention to one of the children, who died as a baby as a result1
- Has also been charged with slavery and rape1
- Fritzl's lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, argues that Fritzl should not go to jail as he is mentally ill4
The Cover-Up
Soon after Elisabeth Fritzl disappeared, a letter supposedly written by her emerged. In the letter, she asked her parents not to search for her and said she was joining a religious cult.
Josef built a set of rooms in the basement hidden behind a bookcase. The entrance was controlled by an electronic system and was soundproof. Over the 24-year period, he brought three of the children to the surface, with notes he forced Elisabeth to write saying she could no longer take care of them within the religious cult.3
Josef's wife, Rosemarie, raised them as her own children, and claims she never knew her own daughter was in the basement.2
The Discovery
Elisabeth's 19 year old daughter was brought to the hospital suffering from renal failure. Elisabeth had hidden a note on her daughter, asking for help. Police appealed on television for her mother to step forward. Elisabeth convinced her father to take her to the hospital, and police picked them up as they were on their way. When the police arrested him, Josef told the police how to access the secret prison cellar.1
Martina Posch
On April 30, 2008, police announced they were looking into whether Josef Fritzl was involved in the murder of Martina Posch in 1986. Posch had no familial link to Fritzl, but Fritzl's wife owned a guest house near where the body was found. Austrian police noted that Posch bore a resemblance to his daughter Elisabeth. 5
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Related Pages on Mahalo
Martina Posch | Elisabeth Fritzl | Kerstin Fritzl Coma
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