The Chilling Details of Elisabeth Fritzl Being Held Captive for 24 Years

Fritzl’s Confession

In his interrogation, Josef Fritzl confessed to imprisoning his daughter and fathering her seven kids. He also admitted to burning the body of his infant son in an incinerator. On April 29, 2008, police used DNA testing to confirm that Josef was indeed the father of Elisabeth’s children. Josef Fritzl’s trial commenced in March 2009, when he was tried for murder by the negligence of his infant son—he failed to seek medical care for the infant that could have saved his life—and decades of enslavement, incest, rape, and false imprisonment of Elisabeth. After extensive psychiatric evaluation determined that Fritzl suffered from a severe personality disorder, prosecutors still determined he was mentally fit to stand trial.

“I Was Born To Rape”

Fritzl pleaded guilty to the charges of rape and incest but not guilty to the murder and imprisonment charges. When he arrived at court, he buried his face in a blue folder to avoid the press and in the courtroom, he appeared stoic and emotionless, reportedly showing no remorse for his crime. During his psychiatric evaluation, he is reported to blame his abusive upbringing and described himself as an “alibi child,” only conceived so that his mother could prove she was able to have kids. He reportedly told a psychiatrist, “I was born to rape, and I held myself back for a relatively long time. I could have behaved a lot worse than locking up my daughter,” Time reported.