In the documentary Girl in the Basement, fans follow the true story of Sara (Elizabeth Fritzl) and her kidnapping. In August of 1984 Don (Josef Fritzl) lured Sara then 18 at the time down into the basement where he proceeded to drug her and lock her up for the next decade. During this time his daughter was gone Don told his wife she had run away to join a cult all while being held prisoner inside her own home. Her mother accepted her then husbands made up stories and never went looking. At the time in 2009, it was deemed that Elizabeth was estranged from her mother.
What Happened To Girl In The Basement?
While in captivity she proceeded to have seven children with Don. One of which didn’t make it due to poor living conditions and lack of medical necessities. She proceeded to convince Don to let her keep three of her children with her in the cellar all while the others showed up on the front doorstep of Sara’s house for her mother to care for. In April of 2008, her eldest daughter fell critically ill and needed to be taken to the hospital for treatment. She proceeded to get put into a medically induced coma. While in the hospital Sara, now 42, sought out help from the doctors at the hospital. Don ended up being arrested at the hospital for his crimes.
Fritzl now going by the name of Josef Mayrhoff was moved out of the psychiatric unit to a normal prison according to BBC news back in May of 2024. Fritzl changed his name back in 2018 due to multiple prison fights where he proceeded to lose several of his teeth. Josef has been housed behind bars since 2009 after a mere 4-day trial when strong allegations against him were brought to light by his daughter. He was accused of murder by negligence, alongside decades worth of enslavement, incest and rape of his daughter Elizabeth Fritzl.
Was He Found Guilty?
He was found guilty on all charges and placed in a psychiatric unit up until May of 2024. In May the court decided with his dementia he was fit to move to a normal prison. In 1980 at the mere age of 11 Josef Fritzl started sexually abusing his daughter Elizabeth leading to her planning to leave at the age of 18. From the year 1981-1982 unknown to Elizabeth and her family the basement renovation was being turned into a prison for her where she ends up being held captive for over a decade.
Where Are Elizabeth And Her Kids Now?
After her escape from captivity in 2008 Elizabeth and her surviving six children underwent extensive and psychological care for the trauma endured. Kerstin her eldest daughter who was hospitalized was able to recover from her serious illness. She was eventually reunited with her family. Stefan her 18-year-old son at the time walked with a stoop because he was too tall for the basement prison they were held captive in. And Felix preferred to crawl over walking due to trauma. Her other three surviving children who lived upstairs and grew up with relatively normal living conditions now suffer from guilt that their family members faced worse conditions than they did. Despite all of the psychological difficulties, the family shows signs they are ready to be moved to Village X where they are now all living a normal life in Austria.
Girl In The Basement is found streaming on Lifetime.
