Josef Fritzl: Evil Father Goes on Trial for Crimes Against Daughter, Elisabeth
Published On: March 10, 2009
You may recall the horrific story of Elisabeth Fritzl, the Austrian woman who was held captive, raped and tortured by her father for 24 years. So many of you were incredulous at the horrific story that captured the world’s attention and sympathy. Many of my blog postings include videos and photos of the crime (thus far) of the century. There was also a link to a photo album containing nine photos of, among other things, the victim and her father.
Well, the outrage continues. Josef Fritzl has admitted to his acts. He is going on trial next week for murder, incest, unlawful imprisonment and enslavement. His attorney, Rudolf Mayer, says “He is not a monster. He loved his daughter in his own way.” This is love? I don’t know about you but I’m deeply offended by the callous disregard for the lives of his daughter and the 7 children (the product of repeated rapes by her father) that she bore from the depravity that defined her existence. One of the children died in infancy, in the dungeon that was their home, while turning blue in her arms. Josef Fritzl incinerated the body and, although it is believed that he won’t be so convicted, this death is the subject of the murder charge against him.
It is quite possible that, under the current Austrian laws, Fritzl could get out of prison in less than 10 years (rape has a maximum sentence of 15 years and, with good behavior…). To add insult to injury, it is rumored that his attorney has made a deal where Fritzl gets to choose the prison in which he will be held to pay for his crimes and that the chosen location will provide mediation, tennis, football and darts as well as cooking lessons.
Elisabeth Fritzl has filmed 11 hours of testimony wherein she describes being assaulted by her father for the first time at age 11. She tried to defend herself against his rape by kicking and screaming. She became his captive at the age of 18 when he locked her in the dungeon that he purposefully built beneath their house (I’m loathe to call it a home) and, in an effort to cover up his perverted acts, forced her to write a letter saying that she had run away to join a cult.
The father’s defense: He was protecting her from smoking, drugs, sex and drinking. Oh, did I mention that he gave his captives a bird? Oh, yes, the bird was able to live down there so it proves that he provided them with good air quality. In addition to the bird, the police found whips and handcuffs.
The details of the upcoming trial and Elisabeth Fritzl’s diary of her 8400+ days of captivity are plentiful on the Internet. In particular, I found the following three articles which lay it all out:
- Fritzl Daughter Tells of Fight to Save Children: Timesonline
- Evil Father Goes on Trial: Babble.com
- Fritzl Girl’s Dunegon Diary Leaked: Ninemsn.com
- And, of course, a Google Search on Elisabeth Fritzl or Josef Fritzl will yield a plethora of information.
