Is 'Girl In The Basement' a true story? Find out real story of Elisabeth Fritzl

Girl In The Basement is one of the most truly terrifying films to come out recently. The film follows the story of Sara, a teenage girl who wants to move away from her home on her 18th birthday. Her father has different plans, however, and locks her up in his basement. Read on to know if Girl In The Basement a true story. 

Is 'Girl In The Basement' a true story?

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Yes, in essence, Girl In The Basement is based on a true story. More specifically, the dark film is based on the true story of the Josef Fritzl case. When the Josef Fritzl case was revealed, the public was shocked to see the extent of Josel's horrible crimes. Josef Fritzl is an Austrian man who had pleaded guilty to keeping his daughter locked up in his basement for 24 years while he abused her sexually. As of now, Josef Fritzl is serving a life sentence in prison.

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According to the Guardian, Fritzl kept his daughter Elisabeth Fritzl locked up in his basement in the town of Amstetten, Austria where he lived with his family. He locked up Elisabeth Fritzl in 1984 just after she turned 18 years old and wanted to leave her house. He sexually abused her for more than two decades and fathered seven children with her. He raised three of the kids with his family in his house while the other three resided down below in the basement with Elisabeth. One child had died during childbirth. Josef kept her hidden away and told his family and acquaintances that she had run away and joined a cult and that she was never coming, as was reported in The Independent. 

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When one of Elisabeth's children became gravely ill, he took the 19-year-old girl to a hospital where she promptly revealed his crimes which lead to his arrest in 2009. Josef Fritz pleaded guilty to multiple charges of enslavement, rape, incest, false imprisonment and coercion. Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life in prison. It's a harrowing real-life crime. The Girl In The Basement was based on this real-life story but the major details of the plot were significantly changed to protect the identities of the real people involved with this case. 

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