Austrian cellar case

[judi25uk]

im not sure if i should be writing this in the europe section but anyway, was just wondering what you guys thought about this very very bizarre case in Austria where josef fritzel imprisoned and abused his daughter in a cellar dungeon for 24 years and she had 7 of his children and one died.
It seems to be a very complex case as there was something like 100 different lodgers at the house in the 24 years and still the family under the floor were not discovered. Its a very very sad case especially when you see the affect this captivity has had on the daughter and her children. To add insult to injury the lawyers are saying the father should not go to jail as he is mentally ill. He didnt look like there was anything wrong with him in the much-publicised video of him getting massaged in thailand as the people in his cellar lay captive. It disgusts me

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7370897.stm

[Serial Killer X]

Yeah it's quite sick how you could live a normal life with something like that in it. It was extremly horrible what he did

[tv]

I agree -- very disgusting. Now I read that the only reason he brought the children into the house to live was to collect the money for being a foster parent. He and his wife adopted the first child but then he realized if he only fostered the other two he could get paid. Apparently, he's lonely in jail...wonder how lonely is poor daughter was when she lived in the dungeon alone for the the first five years?

[teachercrime]

Didn't his wife know about it and not say anything? If so, why is she not in jail?

[Serial Killer X]

Originally Posted by tvdinner

I agree -- very disgusting. Now I read that the only reason he brought the children into the house to live was to collect the money for being a foster parent. He and his wife adopted the first child but then he realized if he only fostered the other two he could get paid. Apparently, he's lonely in jail...wonder how lonely is poor daughter was when she lived in the dungeon alone for the the first five years?

Yer his daughter's life is completly ruined and that would of been absolutly horrrible for his daughter.

[carrie222]

Wow how can anyone live a normal life knowing what they were doing behind closed doors. i dont know how he can live with himself, he most have had no remorse for his actions. thats just sick. That poor girl and her poor children.none of them will ever live a normal life. thats just sad.

[Serial Killer X]

Originally Posted by carrie222

Wow how can anyone live a normal life knowing what they were doing behind closed doors. i dont know how he can live with himself, he most have had no remorse for his actions. thats just sick. That poor girl and her poor children.none of them will ever live a normal life. thats just sad.

Yer He Must Of Had No Remorse I Toally Agree With You Carrie. They Will Never Life A Normal Life That's For Sure It's Absolutly Horrible.

[samanthajane13]

Daughter confronts Austrian incest father in video
By VERONIKA OLEKSYN, Associated Press Writer Veronika Oleksyn, Associated Press Writer – 13 mins ago



ST. POELTEN, Austria – The woman who bore seven children through incest and was allegedly locked in a squalid dungeon for 24 years confronted her father Tuesday in a videotape shown in court — testimony that could send him to prison for life.

Josef Fritzl, 73, has been charged with murder, kidnapping, incest and rape in a case that has drawn media attention from around the world for its shocking allegations.

On Tuesday, jurors, Fritzl and the rest of the court viewed videotaped testimony from his daughter Elisabeth, the key witness against Fritzl. Now 42, she was 18 when he allegedly imprisoned her in the cramped, windowless cell he built beneath the family's home in Amstetten.

Fritzl watched his daughter's testimony "very carefully and very attentively and provided answers to questions" by the prosecutor, jury and judge, court spokesman Franz Cutka told reporters after the closed-door session.

Those in court also saw videotaped testimony from Harald, one of Elisabeth's brothers, Cutka said.

Fritzl has pleaded guilty to incest with Elisabeth and false imprisonment, but is contesting negligent homicide and enslavement charges against him and has acknowledged only partial guilt on rape and coercion charges.

Fritzl has been charged with homicide in the death of an infant — a male twin born to Elisabeth in April 1996 — who prosecutors say might have survived with proper medical care had he and his mother not been locked in the basement.

Police say DNA tests prove Fritzl is the biological father of all six of Elisabeth's surviving children, three of whom never saw daylight until the crime came to light 11 months ago.

Fritzl could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of homicide. He faces up to 20 years behind bars if found guilty of enslavement, up to 15 for a rape conviction, and one year for an incest conviction.

Fritzl again hid his face behind a blue binder and stayed silent Tuesday as he was led into the court in St. Poelten, west of Vienna, for the second day of his trial.

Reporters were not allowed into the courtroom Tuesday, but Cutka said they would be let in for part of Wednesday's session. He said the jury was expected to start its deliberations Thursday morning and a verdict could come as early as Thursday afternoon.

In her opening statement Monday, prosecutor Christiane Burkheiser said Fritzl refused to speak to his daughter during the first few years of her ordeal, coming downstairs only to rape her. Burkheiser said the rapes sometimes occurred in front of the children, and she described Elisabeth as a "broken" woman.

Three of the children grew up underground in Amstetten and the other three were brought upstairs to be raised by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, who apparently believed they had been abandoned.

Elisabeth and her six surviving children, who range in age from six to 20, have spent months recovering from their ordeal in a psychiatric clinic and at a secret location.

Fritzl's lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, said he did expect any surprises at the trial.

"The facts are relatively clear ... there can't really be any surprises in a situation that has already been cleared up," Mayer said.

Cutka said a psychiatrist has been caring for Fritzl before and during the trial to ensure he does not attempt suicide.

Erich Huber-Guensthofer, deputy head of the St. Poelten prison, told reporters that Fritzl had a mysterious visitor to his jail cell earlier this month who apparently posed as a real estate agent. He said the visit was cut short after officials realized the man was trying to pursue "very personal" business with Fritzl.

He did not elaborate, and it was unclear whether Fritzl had been in any danger.

The Associated Press normally withholds the names of victims of sexual assault. In this case, the withholding of Elisabeth's name by the AP became impractical when her name and her father's were announced publicly by police and details about them became the subject of publicity both in their home country and around the world.

Austrian media ridiculed Fritzl on Tuesday for hiding his face in court when the trial began Monday.

"Now he's ashamed — 25 years too late," the Heute newspaper said in a front page headline over a photo of Fritzl trying to shield himself from news cameras.

___

Associated Press Writer William J. Kole in Vienna contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/...a_fritzl_trial

[samanthajane13]

Austrian incest father pleads guilty to all counts
By VERONIKA OLEKSYN, Associated Press Writer Veronika Oleksyn, Associated Press Writer – 11 mins ago



ST. POELTEN, Austria – In a stunning turn of events, an Austrian on trial for imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering her seven children pleaded guilty Wednesday to all charges against him — including negligent homicide — after hearing his daughter's heart-wrenching testimony.

Saying he had a change of heart, Josef Fritzl calmly acknowledged his guilt on the third day of a trial that has drawn media attention from around the world for its shocking allegations.

"I declare myself guilty to the charges in the indictment," Fritzl, 73, told a panel of judges, referring at one point to what he called "my sick behavior."

Fritzl faces up to life imprisonment on the negligent homicide count, which he initially had contested along with an enslavement charge. Prosecutors also had charged him with rape, incest, forced imprisonment and coercion.

A psychiatrist, meanwhile, told the court Wednesday that Fritzl had a very serious personality disorder and would still pose a threat even at his advanced age if freed. Psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner recommended that Fritzl serve out his sentence in a psychiatric ward.

Asked by the presiding judge what had led him to change his mind, Fritzl said it was the videotaped testimony from his daughter Elisabeth that he, jurors and the rest of the court had viewed during a closed-door session Tuesday.

Elisabeth is the prosecution's key witness against Fritzl. Now 42, she was 18 when he imprisoned her in the cramped, windowless cell he built beneath the family's home in the town of Amstetten.

The negligent homicide charge came for the death of an infant twin boy born to Elisabeth in April 1996 who prosecutors say might have survived with proper medical care had he and his mother not been locked in the basement.

Fritzl expressed regret that he didn't bring the ailing infant out of the dungeon and get medical help.

"I don't know why I didn't help," Fritzl said. "I just overlooked it. I thought the little one would survive."

"I should have recognized that the baby was doing poorly," he added.

Wearing a mismatched gray suit and a blue shirt, Fritzl did not hide his face behind a binder Wednesday as he had done for the last two days when led into the courtroom in St. Poelten, west of Vienna.

After the plea change and the psychiatrist's testimony, officials adjourned the trial until Thursday morning.

Legal experts say the jury will still have to deliver a verdict despite Fritzl's guilty pleas, although his confessions are grounds for a lesser sentence. The verdict and sentence for Fritzl are expected later Thursday after the prosecution and the defense give their closing statements.

Police say DNA tests prove Fritzl is the biological father of all six of Elisabeth's surviving children, three of whom never saw daylight until the crime came to light 11 months ago.

Three of the children grew up underground in Amstetten and the other three were brought upstairs to be raised by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, who apparently believed they had been abandoned.

Prosecutors have alleged that Fritzl refused to speak to his daughter during the first few years of her ordeal, coming downstairs only to rape her. They said the rapes sometimes occurred in front of the children, and described Elisabeth as a "broken" woman.

Elisabeth and her six surviving children, who range in age from 6 to 20, have spent months recovering from their ordeal in a psychiatric clinic and at a secret location.

Kastner, the psychiatrist who met with Fritzl several times and put together a psychological profile for the court, said the Austrian needed to control people. She said Fritzl had an ability to block out his crimes but knew what he was doing was wrong, acknowledging he had a guilty conscience when he went to bed at night and when he woke up in the morning.

"Fritzl is guilty for what he did," she said.

Fritzl had testified earlier this week that he had a difficult childhood and a bad relationship with his mother.

"The climate in his parent's house was marked by fear," Kastner said.

The Associated Press normally withholds the names of victims of sexual assault. In this case, the withholding of Elisabeth's name by the AP became impractical when her name and her father's were announced publicly by police and details about them became the subject of publicity both in their home country and around the world.

___

Associated Press Writer William J. Kole in Vienna contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090318/...a_fritzl_trial

[dan_uk]

Austrian Fritzl sentenced to life

Austrian Josef Fritzl, who kept his daughter in a cellar and fathered her seven children, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Fritzl, 73, was found guilty of all charges against him, including rape, incest, murder and enslavement.

The defendant sat still for the verdict, telling the court that he accepted it and would not appeal.

The court ordered that Fritzl would serve his sentence in a secure psychiatric facility.

Fritzl's lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, said outside the court after the verdict: "He showed in his confession that he realises the dimension of his crimes and offences and as such the verdict is the logical consequence."

The life sentence was delivered on the verdict of murder by neglect of one of his daughters children, who died soon after birth.

The jury accepted prosecutors' arguments that the child would have survived if it had received medical care denied by Fritzl.

The defendant first denied murder and enslavement but changed his plea to guilty after seeing testimony from his daughter.

The BBC's Bethany Bell at the court says there has been an enormous amount of media interest in the trial, and its twists and turns have been enormous.

At the time of the first details of this case, no-one could grasp the extent of this man's crimes, she says, and Austria still has to come to terms with it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7952275.stm

[old_soul]

Life imprisonment is just not cutting it for me. Look at him, how long will he last, 5-10 years if that.

Oh, so now he feels remose? That is only self pity, no matter what he says.

Dear God, I cannot imagine the life she has had, alone like that, then child after child, with no hope. 24 years....

I'm almost speechless from anger.

He needs castration, actual castration , so that everytime he has to pee, it goes into some kind of bag or something. A reminder every day of his wretched life. Remove the offending member, because that's why he did it. His very own sex slave, that's what she was.

SOB Pig.

[samanthajane13]

Fritzl sentenced to life in prison in incest case
By VERONIKA OLEKSYN, Associated Press Writer Veronika Oleksyn, Associated Press Writer – 32 mins ago



ST. POELTEN, Austria – An Austrian jury convicted Josef Fritzl of homicide, enslavement, incest, rape and other charges Thursday and sentenced him to life in a psychiatric ward for holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering her seven children.

Fritzl, 73, sat calmly and bowed his head as the verdicts were read. He later told the court he accepted the outcome and waived his right to appeal — bringing a dramatic end to a shocking case that has drawn worldwide attention.

Court spokesman Franz Cutka said Fritzl would be taken to a secure psychiatric ward for mentally deranged criminals.

The homicide count — "murder by neglect" in German — was the most serious of the charges against 73-year-old Fritzl, and the jury gave him the maximum punishment allowed by law.

Officials said Fritzl would not be eligible for parole for at least 15 years, and psychiatric experts would have to concur with any decision to free him. He will also have to pay court costs. The 11 months Fritzl already has spent in pretrial detention will count toward his parole.

The other charges included false imprisonment and coercion. Fritzl had changed his stance and pleaded guilty Wednesday to all counts against him after he and the court viewed 11 hours of emotional videotaped testimony by his daughter, Elisabeth, whom he locked in a dungeon when she was 18.

"I regret it with all my heart ... I can't make it right anymore," Fritzl told the court Thursday, hours before the verdicts were announced.

In a surprise move, Elisabeth appeared in the court as it viewed her testimony Monday and Tuesday. Fritzl's lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, said Fritzl decided to stop contesting the homicide and enslavement counts after seeing that heart-wrenching videotape.

Prosecutor Christiane Burkheiser had called for the maximum punishment in her closing arguments in Fritzl's trial in St. Poelten, west of Vienna. She urged the jury to think about his daughter's nearly quarter-century ordeal as it considered how much time he should serve.

"Don't be duped like Elisabeth was 24 years ago," when Fritzl took her captive in a cramped, rat-infested dungeon he built beneath the family's home in Amstetten.

Elisabeth, now 42, and her six surviving children, who range in age from 6 to 20, have spent months recovering in a psychiatric clinic and at a secret location. Prosecutors described her as a "broken" woman after enduring multiple rapes — some in front of her children.

The homicide charge stemmed from the 1996 death in captivity of her infant son. Prosecutors contend the ailing newborn — a male twin called Michael — might have survived if Fritzl had arranged for medical care.

"Any amateur could have determined that the child was in the throes of death for 66 hours," Burkheiser said, arguing that Fritzl should be locked up for the rest of his life for refusing to intervene and save the baby's life.

Police say DNA tests prove Fritzl is the biological father of all six surviving children, three of whom never saw daylight until the crime was exposed 11 months ago.

The three other children were brought upstairs to be raised by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, who was led to believe they were abandoned by Elisabeth when she ran off to join a cult.

Eva Plaz, a lawyer for Elisabeth and the other victims, urged the jury not to lessen Fritzl's sentence just because he pleaded guilty. In Austria, guilty pleas can be a mitigating factor.

Fritzl's pleas "were not a confession," Plaz said, adding that Elisabeth's main reason for testifying was that she believed she "owed it to her child, Michael."

Mayer, his lawyer, did not argue that Fritzl was innocent — even admitting in court that Fritzl had raped his daughter 3,000 times. But he said Fritzl had been plagued with guilt for the past 24 years, and asked the jurors to take a hard look at the homicide charge.

Mayer said Elisabeth made no mention in her diary of her baby's struggle to survive, noting instead that Fritzl brought her a crib, that both twins were born without incident and that their names were Michael and Alexander.

Psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner told the court Wednesday that Fritzl had a serious personality disorder and would pose a threat to others if freed.

At a news conference after the verdict, court officials said Elisabeth could bring a separate civil case against Fritzl to seek damages for her suffering, adding there was no limit to what she could request.

They said the Austrian government would join in on bankruptcy proceedings that Fritzl recently initiated, and said the process could involve the sale of his real estate holdings — including the house in Amstetten where he held his daughter.

They also said Fritzl would have to secure permission from Austria's Justice Ministry if he wishes to write and sell his memoirs.

The Associated Press normally withholds the names of victims of sexual assault. In this case, withholding Elisabeth's name became impractical when her name and her father's were announced publicly by police and details about them became the subject of publicity both in their home country and around the world.

___

Associated Press Writer William J. Kole in Vienna contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/...a_fritzl_trial