In August 1984, in Amstetten, Austria, Josef Fritzl requested his daughter, Elizabeth’s assistance in installing a new door for their family home’s recently renovated basement. As Elizabeth prepared to depart, her father, Josef Fritzl, used an ether-soaked cloth to make her lose consciousness by forcibly covering her mouth.
Over the following 24 years, she remained confined in that basement, beginning her harrowing ordeal at the young age of 18. During her captivity, Elisabeth experienced unspeakable horrors under the control of her father. Now that she has been liberated, let’s explore the details of Elisabeth Fritzl’s life.
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A Quick Recap Of Her Horrifying Ordeal
Elisabeth Fritzl disappeared on August 28, 1984. Her mother, Rosemarie Fritzl, promptly reported her as missing to the authorities.
Elisabeth remained out of sight and contact for several weeks until a letter arrived. In the letter, Elisabeth claimed that she had grown weary of her life at home and had decided to leave. Her father, Josef, informed the police that she had expressed an interest in joining a religious cult before, which he assumed was her likely destination.
Contrary to his claims, Josef had far more knowledge about her location. In reality, he was the person who composed the letter that was purportedly from Elisabeth. He had confined her in the basement of their house.
Elisabeth Experienced Frequent Sexual Assault And Multiple Pregnancies During Her Captivity
Elisabeth was unable to move on the first two days of her captivity because she was tied with an iron chain. The next day, Josef started to sexually assault her. This abuse would last for the two or more decades.
Consequently, Elisabeth gave birth to seven children fathered by her own father. Tragically, one of the infants passed away shortly after being born, and Josef disposed of the baby’s remains in an incinerator.
Three of Elisabeth’s children remained confined with her in the basement, never experiencing daylight until their liberation. Meanwhile, Josef orchestrated situations in which the other three babies were seemingly found outside the house, in the bushes, or on the doorstep.
He strategically placed the babies along with notes that appeared to be authored by Elisabeth. These notes conveyed her inability to care for these children and her desire for her parents to raise them on her behalf. Consequently, these three children had the opportunity to experience life outside, while the rest were confined in the basement, dreading that any escape attempt might trigger a deadly trap.
Josef successfully concealed the whereabouts of Elisabeth and the children throughout those years. He instructed Elisabeth to compose notes to her mother under his direction. He maintained that he was occupied with work when he was in the basement. In order to avoid suspicion from the neighbors, he attributed any sounds emanating from the soundproofed cellar to noisy heating and pipes.
How She Got Finally Free
On April 26, 2008, at the age of 42, Elisabeth was ultimately liberated. The critical turning point occurred when her 19-year-old daughter, Kerstin, fell seriously ill. Due to the severity of the situation, Josef made an unusually compassionate choice to transport Kerstin to the hospital.
Shortly thereafter, Elisabeth and her two sons observed the doctors treating Kerstin on the news, making a heartfelt appeal for her mother to come forward with any information that might save her daughter’s life.
Elisabeth implored her father to allow her to depart and be with Kerstin. Josef had been seeking an exit from the terrible situation he had orchestrated, feeling the weight of growing old and weary from living his distressing double life. He eventually consented to let Elisabeth leave.
Upon her arrival at the hospital, she informed the police that she would disclose the complete account of the events, provided that they assured her that her father would be kept at a distance.
In 2021, Lifetime debuted an original film inspired by the Fritzl case, titled “Girl in the Basement.”
Where Is Elisabeth Fritzl Now?
Following Elisabeth’s liberation, Josef was promptly apprehended and has been incarcerated, serving a life sentence since 2009.
While Elisabeth is currently in her middle years, the most recent photograph available of her dates back to when she was 16. Authorities have made extensive efforts to protect her identity and privacy.
In an effort to provide Elisabeth with the opportunity for as normal a life as possible following the traumatic experiences she went through, her identity has been shielded from the public. She adopted a new name after her release, and there are claims that she currently resides in an Austrian village known as “Village X” to safeguard its whereabouts.
As reported by The Sun, Elisabeth resides with her adult children, all of whom have received therapy to address the various traumas they experienced. Nevertheless, they maintain the practice of sleeping with their bedroom doors always left open.
The two-story residence is consistently monitored by security personnel, and it is equipped with continuous CCTV surveillance. While details about her life after captivity are scarce, reports in 2019 suggested that Elisabeth had developed a romantic relationship with her bodyguard.
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