Elisabeth Fritzl, Natascha Kampusch And Austria
ELISABETH Fritzl was locked in a cellar for 24 years by her father, by whom she gave birth to seven children.
DAILY MIRROR (front page): “SLAVE IN CELLAR FOR 24 YEARS”
Say neighbours of Josef in Amstetten, Austria: “It’s incredible. He seemed such a harmless old man.”
That’s Josef. Or Joseph, as she soon becomes.
Astonishingly Elisabeth, 42, lived with three of the youngsters in the 1.7metre-high dungeon reached through a garage and accessible only by an electronic lock with a special code.
THE SUN: “7 kids by my dungeon dad”
The horror was only revealed after the 19-year-old fell critically ill — and evil Josef was forced to take the girl to hospital.
Doctors found a handwritten note in unconscious Kerstin’s pocket. It was from her mum — begging medics to save her daughter.
DAILY EXPRESS (front page): “Ordeal of girl held in cellar for 24 years”
Elisabeth Fritzl is 42.
Police say she appeared “greatly disturbed”
DAILY MAIL (front page): “GIRL LOCKED IN A CELLAR FOR 24 YEARS”
In the case of Miss Fritzl, she was kept locked in a series of narrow, windowless rooms with ceilings about 5ft 6in high that were accessed by a door hidden behind a cupboard with a security code that only the father knew.
The Mail will not go metric, unlike the compliant Mirror.
She said that on August 28, 1984, when she was 18, he lured her to the basement and drugged and handcuffed her before locking her up.
The following day her parents reported her missing and her details were circulated by Interpol. But a month later it was assumed she had disappeared voluntarily when her parents claimed to have received a letter from her asking them to stop searching.
It was believed she had joined a cult and police stopped looking for her. In fact she was in the cellar and was “continuously abused” during the 24 years, said police.
THE INDEPENDENT: “Austrian ‘locked up daughter for 24 years and fathered seven children with her’”
The case has strong similarities to the kidnap of Natascha Kampusch, a Viennese girl held in a basement for eight years from the age of 10 before she escaped in August 2006.
THE TIMES (front page): “Another story of abuse emerges from Austria”
Between 1993 and 2000, Mr F allegedly maintained an elaborate pretence. On three occasions he claimed that the children of his missing daughter had been mysteriously dumped on him and that she had then disappeared. The three accounted for in this way were formally adopted and allowed to attend school. “Their behaviour was good and their marks were too,” a school spokesman said. The other three, however, were more difficult to explain away – and were condemned to the dungeon.
Posted: 28th, April 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Josef Fritzl, Tabloids Comments (48) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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April 28th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
My point was and still is that unless you have experienced this sort of ‘control’ then you will never understand how she did not know what was going on.
I don’t belive she did know - whether psycologically she avoided ‘knowing’ or whether she genuinely did not know we will probably never know.
The mother is also a victim in this IMO…
April 28th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
chenier 12- I’m a Sunderland supporter so say no more.
Ohh and Mr Matty is a Newcastle supporter so lots of rivalry in our house, what fun as Ade would say
The place in which they were concealed would have to be well insulated to mask the noise of all those people. Also what about all the rubbish generated, how was that removed and disposed of, a concealed entrance maybe. Very busy man and very evil of course providing food, clearing rubbish, supplying clothes etc.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
i think if they search austria they will find hitler living in a basement.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
And what is it you have against the Toon?
As for the wife knowing nothing I certainly find it hard to believe but we don’t know what sort of person she is.
Could the mysterious room reportedly covered in rubber been some sort of sound proofed area?
In the past parents were known to imprison daughters who had become pregnant with illegitimate children, for fear of what the neighbours would say…
April 28th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
this is so disturbing and sad. so many lives are in turmoil and only God knows how all this will turn out. I pray that the family can be well taken care of mentally and physically and become a part of society without too much hardship. The father is a horrible, disgusting being and he needs to be given the death sentence. My opinion is my own but of all crimes committed those done to children and and innocent people with handicaps of such or even animals should never be allowed to be in society. the death penalty is the best way to rid and never worry about that one sick excuse for a person to harm again.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Hi Nosey- Yeh good news Sunderland safe but so are the Toon
I understand situations or I think I do as far as mothers being too scared etc to speak up or break away but it is reported that she actually didn’t know anything about the whole sad affair.
Someone giving birth makes a noise, a baby crying makes a noise, children playing make a noise. Not to mention all the money that would have been needed to feed the concealed family. My mind boggles at the suffering of that girl/woman and her children and the amount of time they have endured such a life.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
matty - unfortunatley some ‘mothers’ have an ability not to see what is under their noses.
Fathers who rape their daughters often have such a ‘control’ over their family that people from the outside can not understand why other members of the family didn’t ‘know’ or didn’t do anything to stop it.
Unless you have experienced that type of control it is impossible to comprehend how this girls mother did not ‘know’.
On a (very much) lighter note - Sunderland are safe
in the premiership for another year… 
April 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
5.
No, not Miami.
Vegas possibly…
April 28th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
There is also the longterm health implications for the children if they were born due to an act of incest. If they are affected genetically will that then affect any children they may go on to have and so on and so on? Very sad!
April 28th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Giving birth to 7 babies with no medical help and with no support? Terrible.
What now happens to the surviving children? What an awful stigma to have to bear.
This man really is evil beyond belief.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
What a hideous crime!!!! Lets hope with help and guidance Elizabeth and her children can find peace and enjoy the rest of their lives!!!
And lets hope her father suffers as they did and more!!!
What baffles me apart from how heinous the crime is is how did Elizabeths mother Rosemary not know anything about what was going on, as has been reported?
April 28th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
@4: They should get the boys from CSI: Miami involved, they seem to be able to do DNA tests within minutes of finding the crime scene…
April 28th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I note that the Times is now reporting that, whilst the father has admitted keeping his daughter and her children imprisoned, he has denied that the children are his.
DNA results will take some days…
April 28th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
:((((
smileys are not us!
April 28th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Not just a taste.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:48 am
oh yes.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Hopefully dear ole dad will get a good taste of his own medicine