Natascha Kampusch
Natascha Kampusch is the Austrian schoolgirl who was held captive for 8 years in a cellar by Wolfgang Priklopil. She was abducted at the age of 10. Priklopil killed himself.
Austrian Man Confesses to Incest, Holding Daughter Captive in Basement
Josef Fritzl, a 73-year-old Austrian man has confessed to holding his daughter Elisabeth captive in a dungeon for 24 years. While in captivity Fritzl repeatedly raped his daughter, fathering seven children with her, three of them were also held captive underground.
Elisabeth, who is now 42-years-old, was forced into the dungeon when she was only 18, she has lived there for 24 years. Her daughter Kerstin, now 19, and sons Stefan, 18 and Felix, five, lived underground with her in the family's home in the suburbs of Amstetten. Upstairs, Elisabeth's three other children, Lisa, 16, Monika, 14 and Alexander, 12, lived a normal life with Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie.
Authorities say Fritzl and Rosemarie, 60, had seven other children together, including Elisabeth, and that they are convinced the mother had no idea the secret dungeon existed beneath their seemingly normal home.
Elisabeth's Disappearance
Elisabeth says her father drugged and handcuffed her, then imprisoned her in the cellar when she was 18-years-old. After her apparent disappearance, her parents received a letter in her handwriting saying they should not search for her.
Her mother Rosemarie was apparently not aware of the cellar beneath the home, or that her husband had staged their daughter's disappearance to hold her captive beneath the home.
For the next 24 years, Fritzl continued to abuse and rape his daughter, fathering her children, the youngest of which is now 5-years-old.
The Children
Over the course of 24 years, Elisabeth bore seven children, Kerstin, 19, Stefan, 18, Lisa, 15, Monica, 14, Alexander, 12 and Felix, 5. Alexander is a twin, the other twin apparently died, and Fritzl has confessed to burning the child's body.
Kerstin, Stefan and Felix remained underground in captivity with mother, and until yesterday had never seen the light of day. The other three children were taken in and raised by Elisabeth's parents. All three were supposedly left on the doorstop, with a note from Elisabeth saying she could not care for the children.
The Cellar
The cellar where the children were imprisoned consisted of a narrow corridor leading to several rooms, including a cooking and sleeping area, a small bathroom with a shower and a padded cell. A tube provided ventilation for the four captives.
To hide the cellar, Fritzl installed a sliding reinforced concrete door, locked by a number code and hidden behind shelves.
The cellar in the two-storey suburban home at times was no more than five feet, 6 inches high.
The Abuse Exposed
Earlier this month, Kerstin was taken to a local hospital after becoming seriously ill. Police attempted to search for her mother, Elisabeth, who they believed was missing.
Because of the ongoing search, Fritzl released Elisabeth, Stefan and Felix out of the basement, and told his wife that the children had miraculously returned home.
But, police interviewed Elisabeth and she revealed the details of her captivity and the existence of the dungeon in the home. Elisabeth made a statement to police after she was assured she would have no further contact with her father.
Today, Fritzl confessed to imprisoning his daughter, and fathering her seven children.
Elisabeth, who is now 42-years-old, was forced into the dungeon when she was only 18, she has lived there for 24 years. Her daughter Kerstin, now 19, and sons Stefan, 18 and Felix, five, lived underground with her in the family's home in the suburbs of Amstetten. Upstairs, Elisabeth's three other children, Lisa, 16, Monika, 14 and Alexander, 12, lived a normal life with Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie.
Authorities say Fritzl and Rosemarie, 60, had seven other children together, including Elisabeth, and that they are convinced the mother had no idea the secret dungeon existed beneath their seemingly normal home.
Elisabeth's DisappearanceElisabeth says her father drugged and handcuffed her, then imprisoned her in the cellar when she was 18-years-old. After her apparent disappearance, her parents received a letter in her handwriting saying they should not search for her.
Her mother Rosemarie was apparently not aware of the cellar beneath the home, or that her husband had staged their daughter's disappearance to hold her captive beneath the home.
For the next 24 years, Fritzl continued to abuse and rape his daughter, fathering her children, the youngest of which is now 5-years-old.
The Children
Over the course of 24 years, Elisabeth bore seven children, Kerstin, 19, Stefan, 18, Lisa, 15, Monica, 14, Alexander, 12 and Felix, 5. Alexander is a twin, the other twin apparently died, and Fritzl has confessed to burning the child's body.
Kerstin, Stefan and Felix remained underground in captivity with mother, and until yesterday had never seen the light of day. The other three children were taken in and raised by Elisabeth's parents. All three were supposedly left on the doorstop, with a note from Elisabeth saying she could not care for the children.
The CellarThe cellar where the children were imprisoned consisted of a narrow corridor leading to several rooms, including a cooking and sleeping area, a small bathroom with a shower and a padded cell. A tube provided ventilation for the four captives.
To hide the cellar, Fritzl installed a sliding reinforced concrete door, locked by a number code and hidden behind shelves.
The cellar in the two-storey suburban home at times was no more than five feet, 6 inches high.
The Abuse Exposed
Earlier this month, Kerstin was taken to a local hospital after becoming seriously ill. Police attempted to search for her mother, Elisabeth, who they believed was missing.
Because of the ongoing search, Fritzl released Elisabeth, Stefan and Felix out of the basement, and told his wife that the children had miraculously returned home.
But, police interviewed Elisabeth and she revealed the details of her captivity and the existence of the dungeon in the home. Elisabeth made a statement to police after she was assured she would have no further contact with her father.
Today, Fritzl confessed to imprisoning his daughter, and fathering her seven children.
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Comments
crazy world nowadays..
felt pity to Elisabeth..feel very sad..
what such a father like this..
felt pity to Elisabeth..feel very sad..
what such a father like this..
I don't think fathers that do this realize what kind of damage they really do. It's when someone you are supposed to trust really hurts you. It's a mental illness to do something like this, it has to be... That poor girl is probably scarred for life, and her children will have to live a life knowing what has happened.
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