10 Murder Trials That Shocked The World

3. Josef Fritzl (2009) - The Imprisonment And Repeated Sexual Abuse Of His Daughter, Resulting In Him Fathering Seven Children By Her, And The Culpable Homicide Of His (Grand)Son

A case that shocked the world - and what is perhaps most bizarre and unusual about it is that the culpable homicide for which Josef Fritzl was convicted was one of the less-unusual crimes committed by this incestuous father.

In April 2008, worldwide headlines were dominated by the story of Elisabeth Fritzl, a 42-year-old woman who claimed to have escaped from 24 years of captivity in the basement area of her family house - where she was repeatedly assaulted, raped and physically abused by her father.

The abuse led to her fathering seven children (as well as miscarrying on one occasion) with her father, four or who were kept in captivity with Elisabeth Fritzl, including one who later died. Michael Fritzl died three days after birth, having been deprived of all medical help, and his body was burned by Josef Fritzl on his own property.

Arrested on April 26, 2008, Josef Fritzl stood trial in Sankt Pölten, Austria, for incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement, as well as the negligent homicide of his son/grandson Michael. After a trial that lasted just four days, Fritzl was given life imprisonment - and, despite the media having been largely excluded from court, the case received worldwide attention due to its unique nature and the fact a father had committed such acts on his own child.

Fritzl had constructed a sealed chamber which he locked Elisabeth into in August 1984 - where she remained for the next 24 years, undiscovered - although he had already sexually abused her from the age of 11. The prison cell, as it came to be referred, became a media fascination, and attracted even greater attention to the case.

Interestingly, Fritzl attempted to hide his face from the cameras using a blue folder during his trial in March 2009, where he pleaded guilty to most of the charges. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 15 years, and is serving time at Garsten Abbey in Upper Austria. The Fritzl case remains one of the most-talked about criminal trials of the past 50 years, such was the unusual nature of the offences.