January Patreon Audio: Elisabeth Fritzl

The case of Elisabeth Fritzl is one of the most harrowing and widely publicized cases of familial abuse. On August 28, 1984, when she was 18 years old, Elisabeth was taken to the basement of her family home by her father, Josef Fritzl. Josef confined Elisabeth in a concealed area of their cellar for 24 years, during which he repeatedly assaulted, raped, and tortured her. The case came to light in 2008 when Elisabeth's eldest daughter, Kerstin, fell ill and was taken to the hospital by Josef. This led to the discovery of Elisabeth and her children in the basement. Josef Fritzl was arrested and later pleaded guilty to charges of rape, false imprisonment, manslaughter by negligence, and incest. In March 2009, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sources for this episode:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7371959.stm

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/19/josef-fritzl-austria

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c03ddj9z657o

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4768253

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-03-17/fritzl-tells-court-of-very-difficult-childhood/1621042

https://allthatsinteresting.com/elisabeth-fritzl

https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-rosemarie-fritzl-now/

https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-josef-fritzl-the-rapist-who-kept-his-daughter-locked-in-a-cellar-for-24-years-12878269

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/incest-monster-josef-fritzl-demands-house-a-basement-wins-bid-freedom/

https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/articles/josef-fritzl-case

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/austria-josef-fritzl-incestuous-rapist-daughter-dungeon-prison-rcna152123

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/16/josef-fritzl-cellar-case-timeline

https://time.com/archive/6943238/the-children-of-the-cellar/