Josef Fritzl held daughter captive in Austrian basement for 24 years

The case of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian engineer who held his daughter, Elisabeth, captive in a basement bunker for 24 years, remains a significant criminal event. Starting on August 28, 1984, Fritzl drugged his then 18-year-old daughter and imprisoned her in a specially constructed cellar in Amstetten.

Fritzl had meticulously planned the confinement, constructing a bunker with low ceilings and rubber mats to muffle sound. He secured the room with massive metal doors and a combination lock. To maintain the deception, he claimed the area was off-limits due to potential electrical hazards. During her captivity, Elisabeth gave birth to seven children.

The case gained massive international attention through media reports in 2008, the bestselling novel ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue, and the subsequent Oscar-winning film adaptation.