Who are Josef Fritzl's children? Austrian s*x offender who fathered 7 kids with daughter could be released from prison

The potential release of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian s*x offender notorious for imprisoning and fathering children with his daughter, has sparked renewed public interest and concern.

Fritzl held his daughter Elisabeth captive in their family house's cellar as his s*x slave for 24 years. He r*ped her and enslaved her, resulting in seven children with her, some of whom never saw the light of day until their rescue in 2008. He had seven other children, including Elisabeth, with his ex-wife, Rosemarie.

Fritzl, who was convicted in 2009 for his crimes, will soon be eligible for parole as he is no longer "dangerous," according to Austria's local media.

Astrid Wagner, a lawyer for Fritzl, spoke to Austrian public broadcaster ORF on Monday, January 15, and said her client has a right to be treated with human dignity, and that she will be filing an appeal for parole.

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Who are the children of Josef Fritzl?

Fritzl married his ex-wife, Rosemarie, in 1956. The couple had seven children—three sons and four daughters, including Elisabeth. Later, when his daughter Elisabeth turned 18, he kept her enslaved, had forceful s*x, and fathered seven children from her, including two twin brothers.

One of the two twin brothers reportedly died just three days after his birth and was later burned by Josef Fritzl. Among the remaining six children, three were in captivity with her, and Fritzl and his wife raised the other three, as he claimed he found them on the doorstep.

He named his children from Elisabeth—Kerstin Fritzl, Stefan Fritzl, Monika Fritzl, Alexander Fritzl, Felix Fritzl, Lisa Fritzl, and Michael Fritzl.

In 1984, when Fritzl enslaved Elisabeth, her mother, Rosemarie, filed a missing complaint against her. However, Fritzl handed over a letter from Elisabeth claiming she is staying with her friend and does not want to be found.

Josef Fritzl was caught in 2008 when one of his children felt seriously ill and was rushed to the hospital along with Elisabeth. At that time, she reported to the police about her father and false imprisonment.

Fritzl, now 88, was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 for his crimes of incest, r*pe, coercion, false imprisonment, and enslavement of his daughter Elisabeth. However, under the terms of his sentence, Fritzl will be eligible for parole this year.

According to Austrian law, "anyone sentenced to life is eligible for conditional release after 15 years," and Fritzl became eligible for it in 2023.

Doctors say Austrian s*x offender Josef Fritzl is no longer a threat to society (Image via X/@LateModelFord)

Speaking to ORF, Ms. Wagner said,

"I am already in the process of obtaining a conditional discharge for him. If the application is approved, which I assume will be the case, I would like to ensure he gets a place in a home for frail people."

As per the New York Post, Heidi Kastner, a forensic psychiatric expert from Linz University, has spent one year preparing the report on Josef Fritzl and concluded that he is no longer a threat. According to the local police, Fritzl has no more strength left as he needs a walker, and his mental state is also not healthy.

However, there is no immediate clarification given on his parole or release. Elisabeth was given a new identity in 2008 and moved to a village in Austria with her children and security.