Woman kept prisoner in basement for 24 years

[Aontan 0]

Woman kept prisoner in basement for 24 years

Sunday, 27 April 2008 21:39

Austrian police have arrested a 73-year-old man accused of locking up his daughter in his cellar for 24 years, and fathering seven children with her.

Elisabeth Fritzl, 42, has accused her father, Josef, of 'massive crimes'. DNA tests are being conducted on Ms Fritzl and six surviving children.

Elisabeth Fritzl told investigators her father put her to sleep with an anaesthetic on 28 August 1984, handcuffing her in a locked basement.

Officially, she was declared a missing person, with Interpol opening an investigation. Local authorities concluded she had been seized by a religious cult.

Ms Fritzl told police that she spent years imprisoned in an underground chamber beneath the family home near the eastern town of Amstetten.

She said she was 'regularly abused' by her father and their incestuous relationship produced seven children.

All the children appear to have been born in the basement. Investigators said one child, a twin, died shortly after birth. Police said the body was subsequently burned.

Three boys and three girls, now aged between five and 20, survived. Josef Fritzl legally adopted two boys and one girl.

Mr Fritzl is said to have told his wife, Rosemarie, and local authorities that three babies had been left by Elisabeth on their doorstep, in different years.

Each delivery was accompanied by a letter purportedly signed by Elisabeth Fritzl, saying she could not support the child because she already had others to care for.

The three adopted children, living with the man who was both their father and their grandfather, went to school as normal, seemingly unaware that their mother and three other siblings (a girl of 19, and boys of 18 and five) were trapped underground.

Elisabeth Fritzl and five of her children are now in hospital. All are being treated by a team of psychologists. Reports said the mother was physically frail and badly disturbed by her ordeal.

Neither neighbours nor social services appear to have had the slightest inkling that the woman and three of her children were imprisoned in their family home.

Police said the case only came to light after one of the girls, 19-year-old Kerstin, was admitted to hospital in a critical condition in mid-April.

Doctors stepped up efforts to find the mother, looking for background medical information, and Josef Fritzl brought his secret offspring into the family home.

He is said to have told his wife they suddenly reappeared.

Elisabeth Fritzl told investigators her mother knew nothing about the sexual abuse she had endured since the age of 11, some seven years before she was locked away.

Authorities found Elisabeth Fritzl and the three underground children yesterday evening. 

Mr Fritzl gave police the security access codes to the basement this evening.

Police found several rooms 170 centimetres high, equipped with water and a television.

Story from RTÉ News:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0427/austria.html

---

A horrible case; but what I find odd - and hard to believe - is that the father's wife "had not been aware of what was going on".  

Makes you wonder if some people deserve to be parents at all.

[simzebu 20]

She wasn't at all suspicious when her daughter disappeared? She didn't call the police, who would have searched the home and found her in the basement? Yeah, okay. I believe that one.

[Explodingsims 3]

Yes, Because when you're daugther of 18 years dissapears, you generally don't care...

You have to wonder what these people are doing, to make them think this is right.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

You think stuff like this doesn't happen anymore, but you get smacked in the face with another case of brutal inhumanity. As soon as ones faith in humanity starts to accept the chance that maybe people are good, just put in bad situations, a case with NO excuse comes up to makes us all enraged again. But thats just me... What the heck though... 24 years?.. And her 6 children?

-Todd

[coolotter88 2]

the daughter was 11 when she disappeared.

edit: I can do math, lol.

[krbe 193]

Your husband tells you that your 18 year old daughter rins away, and you're not suspicious of not having anyone looking for her? And three of the woman's children went to a local school, and no one ever knew who their mother was?

This is just so bloody ridiculous.

[Meg 368]

Another case where I'm sitting here thinking "What is wrong with people?"

Speaking of doing math, check out this article about this story. 

She had seven children during this time.  One of them died at birth, three of them were found with her in the basement.  One was dropped off at the hospital.  and the others are  . . .  ?

Actually, it's not clear if the one in the hospital is one of the three that were kept in the basement.  There might be another unaccounted for kid somewhere.

Please don't tell me they were living with the wife who "didn't know" what was going on.

[wir3d 2]

Wow how bored would you get? Wow I would die.

[Bumdark 3]

... This is one of the wierdest things I've heard in a long time, to say the least...

I can't really explain my thoughts about this, simply 'cause I don't know what to think... Brutal inhumanity? Incestuous father? Careless mother? Or just stupid prank? God knows for now... hope the DNA samples come back soon. Please keep us updated, will you?

[coolotter88 2]

so would the girl in the hospital be suffering from some rare genetic defect? or just a really bad infection?

[lucky7 73]

It's very unlikely that neither her mother, nor other relatives nor neighbors didn't notice the disappearance of the girl or react to it. I mean, an 11-year-old girl suddenly missing? Strange, that no one had thought of going to the police and what surprises me most is that school authorities hadn't notified the public welfare after her disappearance from school, as we (yes, I am Austrian) have very strict laws when it comes to this, and welfare is almost ever alarmed when something is strange. Moreover, Amstetten is very close to Vienna, so it's not an isolated village somewhere in the mountains with 123 inhabitants or less. Personally, what is one of the most aspects of this, is the role of her mother- did she not react because she was/ is co-dependent, is she retarded (I am serious), or was it a story about fear?

There are truly parallels to the case of Natascha Kampusch, although- officially- no one of her family was involved (investigations are currently on-going, as there are question like: did her kidnapper act alone, was her mother involved, too, plus, the Ministery for Interior lost files, or just neglected vital hints, etc.).

Well, I follow that for sure,

take care,

lucky7

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: lucky7

It's very unlikely that neither her mother, nor other relatives nor neighbors didn't notice the disappearance of the girl or react to it. I mean, an 11-year-old girl suddenly missing? Strange, that no one had thought of going to the police and what surprises me most is that school authorities hadn't notified the public welfare after her disappearance from school, as we (yes, I am Austrian) have very strict laws when it comes to this, and welfare is almost ever alarmed when something is strange. quote>

Are there any circumstances where an 11-year-old girl might not have been visible to the school authorities?    Is it yet known if she was going to school?

I ask this because, in some states in the USA, it is possible for parents to say "oh, I'm home schooling my kids" and then hide them under a rock and no authorities will check to see if they are being fed or abused. (see thread on polygamous compound in Texas for an example)

Moreover, Amstetten is very close to Vienna, so it's not an isolated village somewhere in the mountains with 123 inhabitants or less. quote>

That's an interesting point.  So we are talking about urban / suburban sprawl here?

Personally, what is one of the most aspects of this, is the role of her mother- did she not react because she was/ is co-dependent, is she retarded (I am serious), or was it a story about fear? quote>

I'm wondering if the daughter was mentally challenged.   Maybe that's why the school authorities didn't notice, because she wasn't in school in the first place?  I don't know how that works over there.  It would be interesting to hear what her life was like prior to age 11.

Well, I'll follow that for sure,  quote>

Thank you.   Please keep us posted.  I always like to hear from someone closer to the situation instead of just listening to the sound-bite media reports that make it over here.

[Aontan 0]

She was 18 when she went missing (42-24=18), but the abuse started at 11. Therefore, she was an adult, legally, and probably not in school.

[lucky7 73]

Oh, yes, Aontan, you are right, flicked over this! Right, she was an adult back then. So, please forget the school part in my previous post. Well, it's still strange; didn't she have any friends who felt something being suspicious? The only explanation can be that she "simply run away" and everyone believed in this.

To SkiGeek, regarding the distance from Vienna: well, it's not a suburb, I only used Vienna as a reference point for all overseas readers (Amstetten is 130km away from Vienna (1 and a half hour drive), and 62km (aprox. 45') away from Linz (regional capital of Upper Austria) ) as everyone knows Vienna.

Gonna tell you if I hear anything new on the Austrian media as this is a HUGE incident for sure (also regarding the Kampusch case)!

lucky7

EDITED by lucky7:

I just heard on the radio that obviously the woman herself went to the police; 3 children are said to have lived together with the father in the house, the other three down in the dungeon. However, investigators have to be careful entering the dungeon as it's said that the area is mined...  The father is detained for questioning.

More to follow.

lucky7

[panthersimcity4 162]

Ewwww..... she gave birth to her own siblings? *barfs*

What a bizarre story.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: lucky7

Oh, yes, Aontan, you are right, flicked over this! Right, she was an adult back then. So, please forget the school part in my previous post.quote>

okay, let's skip the part about the school.

 

I just heard on the radio that obviously the woman herself went to the police; 3 children are said to have lived together with the father in the house, the other three down in the dungeon. However, investigators have to be careful entering the dungeon as it's said that the area is mined...  The father is detained for questioning.

quote>

Lived together with the father in the house?   and where was his wife during all of this?  The one who supposed didn't know anything.

[coolotter88 2]

the dungeon is mined?

[lucky7 73]

OK, this is what I've found so far, it's a link to the 'Austrian Times'.

http://www.austriantimes.at/?c=1&id=5378

lucky7

oh, and I can only recommend the link SkiGeek has provided!!

Edited to enable link

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: Aontan

Woman kept prisoner in basement for 24 years

 

Officially, she was declared a missing person, with Interpol opening an investigation. Local authorities concluded she had been seized by a religious cult. 

Umm Interpol is the police right?

So there was an investigation, seems they didnt do much investigating though,if they didnt find her in her own house.

[Duke87 1,070]

There seems to be some confusion about the ages here: she's 42 now and was locked up for 24 years. That means she "disappeared" at age 18, not 11. 11 was the age at which her father started sexually abusing her. The relevant excerpts, so you don't need to reread the whole article:

Austrian police have arrested a 73-year-old man accused of locking up his daughter in his cellar for 24 years, and fathering seven children with her.

Elisabeth Fritzl, 42, has accused her father, Josef, of 'massive crimes'. DNA tests are being conducted on Ms Fritzl and six surviving children.

Elisabeth Fritzl told investigators her father put her to sleep with an anaesthetic on 28 August 1984, handcuffing her in a locked basement.quote>

Elisabeth Fritzl told investigators her mother knew nothing about the sexual abuse she had endured since the age of 11, some seven years before she was locked away.quote>

Now then.... wow, what do I say about this? Somethings are just too despicable to properly comment on.

It seems unlikely that the mother and three of the children could be living in the same house where the others were held prisoner and be unaware of it for 24 years, but then again you'd be surprised how oblivious to their surroundings some people can be.

Apparently the area in which they were kept was closed off and the father didn't let anyone else go in there, and his non-imprisoned family just trusted him, had no reason to go in there, and weren't curious enough to wonder what was in there.

The part that makes the least sense to me is how six separate childbirths could have taken place there without assistance from so much as a nurse, let alone any actual medical equipment. Childbirth can be very dangerous if it's attempted without any assistance. Before modern hospitals and delivery rooms, women died in childbirth quite frequently.

Not to mention that you'd think someone would notice. That chamber must have been very well soundproofed for the inevitable screams of pain to not be audible outside!

...yeah, okay, that's the part I'm curious about now. How the birthing process was pulled off with just the father there, without proper medical assistance, and without anyone noticing. And not once, but six times. Jeez.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Duke87

It seems unlikely that the mother and three of the children could be living in the same house where the others were held prisoner and be unaware of it for 24 years, but then again you'd be surprised how oblivious to their surroundings some people can be.

Apparently the area in which they were kept was closed off and the father didn't let anyone else go in there, and his non-imprisoned family just trusted him, had no reason to go in there, and weren't curious enough to wonder what was in there. quote>

And he took food down to them regularly and no one noticed?   Seems very unlikely.

The part that makes the least sense to me is how six separate childbirths could have taken place there without assistance from so much as a nurse, let alone any actual medical equipment. Childbirth can be very dangerous if it's attempted without any assistance. Before modern hospitals and delivery rooms, women died in childbirth quite frequently.

Not to mention that you'd think someone would notice. That chamber must have been very well soundproofed for the inevitable screams of pain to not be audible outside!

...yeah, okay, that's the part I'm curious about now. How the birthing process was pulled off with just the father there, without proper medical assistance, and without anyone noticing. And not once, but six times. Jeez.

quote>

 

Seems extremely unlikely.

Makes me wonder how the people living above ground were being treated.

[belfastuniguy 18]

As far as the BBC are reporting the girl was held captive and forced to bear her fathers children. Three of them lived above ground and the rest locked in the basement. One died soon after birth.

The alarm was raised when a girl, I think around the age of 19, was taken to hospital. Then doctors must have noticed something or became suspicious and informed the police. Of course the mother knew, how the hell could she not have.

A deeply sickening and depraved story, my heart goes out to that poor women I can't imagine the terrible physical and mental abuse she must have suffered and most likely will never recover.

Austrian detectives study cellar

The house where the man and his daughter lived

Police in Amstetten, Austria, have described the cellar where a woman was allegedly held captive and sexually abused for 24 years by her father.

A series of underground rooms equipped for sleeping and cooking, and with sanitary facilities, lay behind a concealed door, police said.

The father, 73, allegedly had seven children with his daughter, now aged 42, and is under arrest.

Authorities are caring for the daughter and six surviving children.

The small town of Amstetten, about 130km (80 miles) west of Vienna, with its well-kept gardens is in shock, the BBC's Bethany Bell reports.

The case, she notes, is reminiscent of that of Natasha Kampusch, the Austrian teenager held captive in a cellar in a house in a Vienna suburb for eight years, who ran to freedom in 2006.

While police are not connecting the two cases, many Austrians are asking how such matters went undiscovered, our correspondent says.

Door code

Speaking on Sunday evening, Austrian police confirmed they had found the cellar where the daughter, named only as Elisabeth F, was allegedly held along with three of her children.

[Micah 16]

Something's just not right. I have a feeling others knew about it and did nothing, unfortunately. This reminds me of a 20/20 special which did an experiment to see if anyone would do anything if they saw a girl or boy on the side of the road crying. Would they intervene or leave them alone? The vast majority kept to their business. Same holds true to another experiment on ABC's 20/20 where a group of "actor" boys were bullying another "actor" boy to see if any parents in the park would react. Yet again, the vast majority of people in the park did nothing and that was quite a lot of people. I guess this is just another example because I really do feel that somebody anybody! had to know.... and I'm talking about people outside the house.

[Meg 368]

DNA tests confirm father in Austrian incest case

DNA tests on Tuesday confirmed that 73-year-old Josef Fritzl is the father of the children his daughter bore while a prisoner in a cellar for nearly a quarter of a century, investigators said.

  

Fritzl appeared in court to be remanded in custody while doctors shielded Elisabeth Fritzl and her six surviving children in isolation from a world they barely know.

  

"The DNA tests provided decisive evidence that the six children that Elisabeth gave birth to have the same father," chief investigator Franz Polzer told a press conference.

  

"We're talking about Josef Fritzl, 73," he added.

  

Elisabeth Fritzl, now 42, and her children, are sequestered "in a treatment container that can be locked from the inside" to shield them from the outside world, child and youth pyschologist Paulus Hochgatterer told Austrian television.

  

One of the seven children she bore during her 24 years in captivity died shortly after birth. Three of the surviving children had never left the three cramped underground rooms where they were held and had never seen natural daylight.

  

Three other children were legally adopted by Josef Fritzl and lived with him and his wife Rosemarie upstairs in the family home, totally unaware of the fate of their siblings imprisoned in the cellar below.

  

The women and all the children face several weeks of treatment,  Hans-Heinz Lenze, head of social services in Amstetten, told a news conference.

  

Psychologists were also available to Elisabeth's adult brothers and sisters, as well as the classmates of the three children allowed to lead "normal lives", Lenze said.

  

"Only very gradually are they being exposed to the outside world," Hochgatterer said, adding that "given the circumstances, they're actually doing quite well."

  

The two sets of children, who had been completely unaware of each others' existence, were tentatively beginning to get to know one another, even if two of the three who had spent all their lives underground "have a way of communicating that is anything but normal," said Berthold Kepplinger, director of the psychiatric clinic in Amstetten-Mauer.

  

Austrian Justice Minister Maria Berger warned media that they could be fined up to 20,000 euros (31,000 dollars) for publishing photos of the victims or details of their private lives where there was no express need.

  

"It's important that the victims are now left in peace," Berger told a news conference in Vienna.

  

The father was remanded in custody when he made a first appearance before a judge on Tuesday. Fritzl has also expressed his regret to the town chief in Amstetten.

  

"He looked at me with a face full of remorse and said: 'I'm very sorry. I regret this very much for my family," said Hans-Heinz Lenze, municipal chief of Amstetten and head of its social services, who met Fritzl while he was in police custody at the weekend.

  

He now faces 15 years in jail if convicted of rape and sequestration.

  

Doctors would determine when police would be allowed to question Elisabeth Fritzl and the children, but that was unlikely to be for several days, Lenze said.

  

Authorities were looking for a special school for the children and they have proposed changing the names of Elisabeth, her children and her adult brothers and sisters, Lenze said.

  

The case has shocked Austria, coming only two years aft

[hym 358]

Maybe "treatment container" is something along the lines of a recovery home. Or possibly a panic room. The article did say that they are being gradually exposed to the outside world. It could be part of the psychological treatment process. Then again, I could be hopelessly wrong too.