What happened to Elisabeth Fritzl and where is she now? The gripping story of her 24-year captivity, with monster father Joseph Fritzl lining up for a possible escape from prison
- All important information about what happened to Elisabeth Fritzl and where she is now
Jailed Austrian incest monster Josef Fritzl could soon be released after an expert ruled he no longer poses a danger to the public, it has emerged.
Fritzl, 88, was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 after admitting that he had kept his daughter Elisabeth locked in the cellar for almost 25 years.
But who exactly is Elisabeth Fritzl? What happened to her and where is she now? Read on below for everything you need to know about Elisabeth Fritzl.
Fritzl repeatedly raped his daughter Elisabeth (photo) and fathered seven incestuous children with her during her captivity
Imprisoned Austrian incest monster Josef Fritzl (pictured in 2009) could soon be released after an expert ruled he no longer poses a danger to the public, it has emerged
Who is Elisabeth Fritzl?
Born on April 6, 1966, Elisabeth Fritzl is a kidnapping survivor who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her own father, Josef.
Elisabeth had seven children, but one died, all of whom were fathered by her evil captor.
Fritzl, 88, is serving his life sentence in a special prison unit for the criminally insane in Austria’s Krems-Stein prison.
What happened to Elisabeth Fritzl?
On August 28, 1984, Josef Fritzl called his then 18-year-old daughter Elisabeth to the basement of the family home in Amsteten, Austria.
He was reinstalling a door to the newly renovated basement in the building and asked Elisabeth to help him carry it.
Gruesomely, this was a trick by Josef to deceive his daughter, as he then knocked her unconscious with an ether-soaked towel.
For the next 24 years, the inside of that cellar was the only thing Elisabeth would see.
Her father lied to her mother and the police, telling them that she had run away and joined a cult.
During her torturous time spent in the basement of the family home, Fritzl attacked and sexually assaulted Elisabeth.
She even gave birth to seven children born as a result of the numerous cases of rape, one of whom died shortly after birth.
Three of her children were raised by Josef and Elisabeth’s mother, Rosemarie, who was tricked by her husband into thinking they had been left on their doorstep by their ‘missing’ daughter, who Josef claimed could not care for them .
Depraved Fritzl, 88, was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 after admitting to keeping his daughter Elisabeth locked in a cellar as a sex slave for 24 years (pictured)
During her ordeal under the family home in Amstetten in the state of Lower Austria, Fritzl fathered seven children together with her in a case that shocked Austria and the world
Elisabeth’s other three children were raised by her while she was held captive in the cellar.
Fortunately, Elisabeth was able to escape to freedom at the age of 42 on April 26, 2008, after one of her children fell unconscious and Josef agreed to seek medical help for the child.
Elisabeth was released after police were tipped off by medical staff and she told them about her terrible experiences, which led to Josef Fritzl being arrested and eventually sentenced to life in prison in 2009.
Where is Elisabeth Fritzl now?
Elisabeth was renamed after Josef’s trial, during which strict laws were put in place to prevent her identity from being revealed.
She now lives with her six surviving children in a small hamlet in the Austrian countryside, which also cannot be identified and is referred to only as ‘Village X’ by the Austrian media.
The children, who were aged between 21 and 35 in January 2024, are said to have slept in rooms with doors permanently open after undergoing weekly therapy sessions to help them overcome the trauma they suffered in the basement.