Brazilian 'Josef Fritzl' kept wife and kids captive for 20 years with foetuses found in garden

An unnamed Brazilian man in Novo Oriente has been arrested after keeping his wife and children captive for two decades, raping them several times and forcing them to have abortions

A man who kept his wife and children prisoner for 20 years and subjected them to a series of rapes and forced abortions has been dubbed the Brazilian Josef Fritzl.

The unnamed suspect, said to be 54, was arrested when one of his seven daughters gave him sleeping pills and escaped to report him to police. Officers raided the home in Novo Oriente, Brazil, and found three foetuses buried in the garden. The most recent died eight months ago.

Police rescued seven children aged three to 22, with investigators saying the suspect had sexually abused them and his late mother-in-law. His wife, believed to be 40, said she had been captive since she was 17. Her vile husband reportedly forced her to have three abortions. Police revealed one of the daughters suffered an unsuccessful abortion of a six-month-old foetus.

The baby reportedly survived and was rescued by a midwife. The girl was reportedly in poor health but her father refused her any medical help. According to police, the suspect sexually abused his daughters and drilled holes in the walls of the house to see the girls getting dressed and taking a bath.

The suspect is now being held in preventive custody and the mother and children have been moved to a different state for their protection. Police spokesperson Herika Ribeiro Sena said: "The victim only left home to receive benefits and, many times, was accompanied by him. None of the neighbours knew her, not even relatives had access to her."

The man was charged with false imprisonment, rape of a vulnerable person, psychological violence, abortion and concealment of a corpse. The investigation is ongoing.

The horror is similar to that suffered by the victims of Josef Fritzl.The 90-year-old was jailed in 2009 after it was found he kept his daughter, Elisabeth, captive in his basement for 24 years. The monster imprisoned her in a hidden room under his home from 1984 to 2008 and raped her thousands of times and had seven children with her.

Elisabeth Fritzl, who was starved of sunlight, fresh air, and outside interaction at a tiny home in Amstetten, Austria, was given a new identity when her father's crimes were discovered. She now lives in a tiny hamlet in the Austrian countryside , which cannot be identified by law.