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It’s Thursday and what a journey we’ve gone on so far! My appreciation to everyone for following along as we learn more about “Sexual Assault” and “Child Abuse” this month.
Today’s F stands for the Fritzl Case.
Who Was the Fritzl Family?
For those of you who cannot remember the story, Elisabeth Fritzl, age 18, seemed to disappear into the night in 1984, and reappeared 25 years later in 2008.
Her father, Josef Fritzl, had created a padded cell in the basement of their family home and one day asked Elisabeth (whom he had been raping since she was 11) to help him with the last piece of the cell before using an ether-soaked towel to make her lose consciousness before throwing her in the cell where she would remain for 25 years.
Elisabeth’s mother, Rosemarie, filed a missing persons report but Josef claimed to have letters (he had forced Elisabeth to write) saying she had been unhappy at home and left to live with a religious cult.
Locked Up in the Cellar
For the next 24 years, she was kept locked up in the cellar of her family home where she was repeatedly raped, bore her father 7 children: one (Michael) died shortly after birth, and three—Lisa, Monika and Alexander—were removed from the cellar as infants to live with Fritzl and his wife, who became their foster parents with the knowledge of local social services authorities. (Supposedly he had given quite “plausible” explanations for how the children arrived at their home and no social worker or police officer was suspicious during their routine visits!
Elisabeth’s other three kids, Kerstin, Stefan, and Felix, were kept locked up in the cellar with their mother until 19 April 2008 when Kerstin fell ill w/ kidney failure and Josef took her to the local hospital. Hospital staff found Josef’s story to be suspicious and alerted police. When Josef brought Elisabeth to Kerstin on 26 April 2008, the police took them in for questioning where Elisabeth, after being promised she would never have to see her father again, told her story. Josef was arrested and charged with incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement and the negligent homicide of the infant Michael, all of which he pleaded guilty to and was sentenced to life imprisoned.
Josef remains in a psychiatric prison and Elisabeth and her three children have been given new identities and a chance to start life anew.
You might think that horrors Elisabeth and her children experienced were only to be found in fiction and movies but this is a true story, a sad story and yet one with a decent ending as Elisabeth, Kerstin, Stefan and Felix now live in sunshine and are free!
If you think this story sounds a bit familiar, it is because recent film, The Room, starring Academy Award Winner Brie Larson is partially based on the Fritzl case.
I hope this story has been educating to you, my lovely readers, and that you give thanks for your own freedom!
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What true crime story has had an impact on you?
I had read this story once back via some paranormal researcher. But truly this is painfil.
That’s horrible and heartbreaking to hear what she went through. I’m happy that it had a happy ending and I hope she is doing okay wherever she is.
This Fritzl case is so harrowing. Life imprisonment would not be enough punishment for that man. Oh how it angers me to read about this! I hope Elizabeth is doing okay. The mental and emotional trauma she must have received from her very own father – so heartbreaking.
i love larning cases like this. there is always something to learn. i have so many crime podcasts it’s redic
It’’s incredible what people can do. It was the first time I heard about that story.
Fritzl Case was so awful! I remember this few years back. I wish there’s justice and peace.
This case, at the time as today, makes me tremble deep inside my bones. Excellent analysis.
Great! Let the nightmares commence! This is the kind of story you hear on a movie!
This is so sad. Ive never heard of this until reading your article.
What an awful story. I read and watch a lot of true crime and this is one that I’ve never heard of.
I remember when this story first broke. I could hardly believe it! The evil that is in the hearts of some people is utterly horrifying.
While I had heard of this case, I had not heard the details. This is such a sad story, even though the family is now free, they will have so much weight to carry of that life they lived in captivity. I pray for strength for them all.
Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. I remember the case well and it still saddens me that her mother participated in this horror show. I hope the other three children are doing well too. It is a sad case indeed
What a heartbreaking case. Wow how could a father do this to his own daughter and imprison her I need to read more on this and watch the movie.
I didn’t know about this story before reading this post and what had been done was so horrible. It’s heart-wrenching to think from the situation that she and her children were gone through.
Oh, this story is so upsetting. I can’t imagine how much counseling she and her children had to go through! Her father is a monster!
I read this case before. I didn’t think someone will do something like this until I read it. It ws good that Elisabeth was able to have a new life. 🙂
I read this case before. I didn’t think someone will do something like this until I read it. It ws good that Elisabeth was able to have a new life.
I cannot even imagine the trauma this has caused Elisabeth. Her father is so evil! I am also wondering how the mother did not notice anything about the cellar? It is just so heartbreaking to know about the suffering this child had to go through.
I think I’ve read it on Quora before and rereading it here, my opinion about this story didn’t change. I don’t understand how the mind of people sometimes works. There is a lot to say about this, about the father of course, but I would rather not rant here. 🙂
I remember this story – of course. It would be difficult to forget something as awful as this. It’s unbelievable how someone can be such a monster.
Amazing post. Do you have any other ones you can give? I dig the content. 🙂
I think I read this before, but reading it again – ugh… what a terrible case!
Anna
ATSP @ Deeply Shallow
@natzers
Amazing what people are capable of.
I remember this quite clearly.
What a horrible story. What kind of person can do this to people you are supposed to love?
There are loads of "weirdos" out there…some live under our noses and are even respected members of the community…scary…
Thanks Michelle!! It's pretty sickening what comes to light. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I remember this case being all over the news, and it does not cease to horrify me to know that such absolute evil can exist in the world. I hope wherever she and her kids live now, they have a happy life.
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog
Hope people do not forget.
Such a sad story, but a nice ending. Did her mom never suspect what was going on down in the basement?
Betty
According to the reports, nope she never suspected. Incredible.
J here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge – where I am part of Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
April is here and I'm excited about it. Best of luck to us both on meeting our goals of posting and hopping to other blogs.
My blog has a giveaway. There's a bonus a to z challenge each day to encourage people to visit more stops.
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
Tonight's #azchat was super fun!
Actually, I do think I recall hearing about this case. And wondering what the heck is wrong with people that they do this. That this actually happens. I mean, how do thoughts like that get into someone's brain? It's messed up.
Thanks for sharing!
What a horrible story. It's so sad that people like Josef can even exist and live with themselves.
@dSavannahCreate from
dSavannahRambles
#AtoZChallenge2016 theme: dSavannah Defects
Exactly! And how many people get away with this craziness?
I remember this mind-blowing case. I hope Elisabeth and her children are safe and happy and enjoying true freedom.
Yes!