TW: This article includes talk of rape, sexual harassment, and abuse. 

Josef Fritzl kept his daughter Elisabeth Fritzl in a small, concealed room in their basement for 24 years. She was abused and sexually assaulted, raped over 3,000 times by her father, and had seven unassisted births. This toxic family dynamic began on August 28, 1984, and lasted until he pleaded guilty in 2009.

When Elisabeth turned 18 years old, her father lured her into the room that he intentionally set up for her years prior. Josef Fritzl came down into her basement room several times a week, either to bring her food or to rape her. Elisabeth’s mom, who was living in the house at the time, filed a missing person’s report, as she had no idea of the trauma her daughter was enduring just below her feet. Elisabeth is undeniably a very strong and brave woman, who not only survived this abuse from her own father, but also had to give birth to seven of their babies and raise them by herself. 

The movie “Room” by Lenny Abrahamson is based on the book “Room” by Emma Donoghue which follows the plot of the true story of Elisabeth Fritzl synthesized above. “Room” demonstrates how horrific and real situations like this are and how common it is for them to go unnoticed for several decades. This movie and book are only two examples of the horrors of rape and abuse and bring awareness to the severity of these situations.

Elisabeth Fritzl’s case is only one of thousands that exist. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), “Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.” This Women’s History Month, we must devote our attention to these grim issues that are constantly occurring and not receiving the proper amount of understanding, support, and conversation. 

If you or anyone you know are experiencing any type of nonconsensual sexual abuse or violence, please don’t hesitate to reach out to these resources or any other support systems available to you:

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-7233)
• RAINN/Sexual Abuse Hotline (800-656-4673)
• Teen Line (800-852-8336)

Additionally, many organizations work to bring awareness to these issues of rape, sexual harassment/assault, domestic violence, incest, nonconsensual touching, and verbal harassment. Some organizations with which we are familiar are SafeBAE, Saving Innocence, and RAINN.

During the month of March, or whenever you have spare time, please take a moment to research these organizations and the topics in general to help make a difference, as these problems are ongoing and lack attention. Let’s take this opportunity to uplift other women!