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15:44 GMT, Monday, 28 April 2008 16:44 UK

In pictures: Austria abuse scandal

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A 73-year-old Austrian man, Josef Fritzl, from the town of Amstetten, has confessed to imprisoning his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathering her seven children, police have said.

House in the town of Amstetten in the province of Lower Austria

House in the town of Amstetten in the province of Lower Austria

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His daughter, Elisabeth, had not been seen since August 1984, when she was 18. According to her testimony, Mr Fritzl lured her into the cellar, and drugged and handcuffed her before locking her up.

Police photo handouts showing the inside of the 'prison' in the basement

Police photo handouts showing the inside of the 'prison' in the basement

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Police have released photos of the cellar in which they were kept. They show a concealed network of windowless chambers. The rooms were equipped for sleeping and cooking, and with sanitary facilities.

Media in Amstetten

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Elisabeth, now 42, is receiving medical and psychological treatment and her children are in care, police said. Her eldest daughter, Kerstin, is in hospital with a serious illness.

Hospital in Amstetten

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The 19-year-old's admission to hospital a week ago sparked new interest in the whereabouts of Elisabeth and eventually led police to question her and arrest Mr Fritzl.

Local residents discuss the events in Amstetten

Local residents discuss the events in Amstetten

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Among the neighbours, who police have said knew nothing, there is a sense of shock and disbelief. "You just can't imagine this happening here, in quiet Amstetten," one woman told the BBC.

An Austrian policeman looks at the house

An Austrian policeman looks at the house

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It is the third case involving people being locked in cellars to come to attention in Austria in recent years. Two years ago a young woman, Natascha Kampusch, escaped after being held for eight years.

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