<P> The Fritzl case emerged in April 2008 when a woman named Elisabeth Fritzl (born 6 April 1966) told police in the town of Amstetten, Austria, that she had been held captive for 24 years behind eight locked doors in a concealed corridor part of the basement area of the large family house by her father, Josef Fritzl (born 9 April 1935), and that Fritzl had physically assaulted, sexually abused, and raped her numerous times during her imprisonment . The abuse by her father resulted in the birth of seven children: three of them remained in captivity with their mother, one had died just days after birth, and the other three were brought up by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, having been reported as foundlings . </P> <P> Josef confined Elisabeth, tricking her into the basement, when she was 18 years old . Three of Elisabeth's children, born during her confinement, were imprisoned with their mother: 19 - year - old (at time of release) daughter Kerstin and sons Stefan, 18, and Felix, 5 . Another, Michael, died of respiratory problems three days after birth, having been deprived of all medical help; his body was incinerated by Josef Fritzl on his property . </P>

Man in germany who kept daughter in basement