Elisabeth Fritzl made headlines as it was revealed that her father Josef Fritzl locked her up in a cellar for twenty-four years. However, Elisabeth ended up becoming a sex slave by Josef. In turn, Elisabeth bore several children out of incest by the rape of Josef. So far, only six of her children were alive.
To help the children cope with dealing with the outside world, psychiatrists have constructed a mock cellar. This is to help the children cope with the culture shock. In a sense, those six surviving children are in the same boat as the 400+ children that were taken from the Yearning for Zion (YFZ) Ranch in El Dorado, Texas. The YFZ is a compound for the FLDS, an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism.
The FLDS and mainstream Mormons have no ties with each other. This group split off so they could practice polygamy. The group is led by Warren Jeffs, who is currently serving time behind bars.
It seems that Elisabeth seems to be adapting well. Many have wished well for Elisabeth and her children. In response, Elisabeth has written them a letter of thanks.
In the letter, she wrote: “I wish for the recovery of my daughter Kerstin, the love of my children, the protection of my family and for the people with heart and compassion.”
Josef Friztl said that he was a victim, too. However, there was the chance that this case would not have been made known. It could be considered either luck or divine intervention of the matter.
Back in April, Elisabeth’s daughter Kerstin, who is 19, was brought to the hospital. From there, it was revealed what had happened. If she did not get hospitalized, it would be highly unlikely that this would be brought into the light.
Now, the healing begins. But, it is unknown how long the healing process will take. Right now, they are undergoing counseling and treatment in Amstetten, which is west of the Austrian capital of Vienna.