Joseph fritzell is an Austrian man who gained International notoriety for imprisoning his daughter Elizabeth in a hidden basement for 24 years from 1984 to 2008 during this time fritzell subjected her to repeated sexual abuse resulting in the birth of seven children the case came to light in April 2008 when one of the children who was severely ill required medical attention fritzell was arrested and later sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 for his crimes including rape incest false imprisonment and Murder by neglect the case shocked the world and raised significant questions about how such horrific abuse could go undetected for so long