As of: January 26, 2024, 11:01 a.m
By: Maximilian Kettenbach, Martina Lippl
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The Josef Fritzl case shocked people in 2008. The “incest father” had locked his daughter in the cellar dungeon for years.
Now there is a court decision.
Update from January 25th, 12:20 p.m.:
It was shortly before 9:00 a.m. when the Krems regional court made the decision not to release the incest perpetrator Josef Fritz, but at least to transfer him - from the enforcement of measures to a normal cell.
The court relied primarily on the testimony of court psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner at the end of 2023. She had certified that Fritzl was harmless due to his severe dementia.
The illness ensures that “acts predicted to have serious consequences will no longer occur,” she reported.
Fritzl has now spent 15 years in prison, a mandatory requirement for any early release.
At the end of the approximately 30-minute hearing, Fritzl's lawyer Astrid Wagner said that her client had told “how he regrets what he did.
Well, he was actually close to tears.” The lawyer wants to continue fighting for her client’s early release, as she announced.
“No longer dangerous and close to tears” – Fritzl lawyer stands up after court decision
She also no longer thinks he is dangerous.
“My client has mental deterioration and is severely demented,” Wagner continued.
Fritzl dealt intensively with his crimes while in prison.
Fritzl was questioned by a judge at the regional court, but according to Wagner he had problems understanding the matter, reports
today.at
.
“She had to speak really loudly because he didn't understand some of the questions.
She had to repeat the questions several times.
He said that what he did was terrible.” He felt sorry for people and would give his life to undo things.
Defense attorney Astrid Wagner no longer considers incest perpetrator Josef Fritzl to be dangerous.
© picture alliance/dpa/APA |
Helmut Fohringer
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This decision is not yet legally binding.
As the Austrian
Standard
reports, no representatives of the public prosecutor's office could be present at the hearing due to a lack of staff.
First pictures in 15 years - court decision on Fritzl's release in Austria has been made
First report from January 25th, 9:00 a.m.:
Krems – Josef Fritzl (88) was taken to the regional court in Krems (Austria) in a bus on Thursday morning.
It is the first appearance of the criminal known as the “Monster of Amstetten” in 15 years.
A hearing about his future fate was held behind closed doors.
Josef Fritzl is to be conditionally released from prison and into normal prison under certain conditions, a spokesman for the regional court confirmed to the dpa news agency.
However, the decision is not yet legally binding.
Austrian media and ORF had previously reported on this decision on Thursday.
No representative of the public prosecutor's office was present at the hearing.
The prosecution has 14 days to file any legal remedies.
The 88-year-old will therefore remain in the Stein Correctional Facility until it becomes legal.
Josef Fritzl seen drinking coffee in Krems?
© dpa |
epa apa Fohringer + IMAGO / SKATA (assembly)
Josef Fritzl is to be conditionally released from prison – a “partial success” for the lawyer
The scheduled court date fueled rumors that the incest perpetrator would be released in Austria.
At times it degenerated into hysteria.
Fritzl was said to have been seen in a coffee house before the court date, it was said.
However, Josef Fritzl remains in custody.
Lawyer Astrid Wagner speaks of a “partial success” for her client.
Josef Fritzl, who now has a different name, is not released completely into freedom.
For “general preventive reasons” the court rejected a so-called conditional dismissal.
As
derstandard.at
reports, Wagner wants to continue to campaign for a general conditional dismissal of her client.
The first photo in 15 years: Josef Fritzl, who became known as the “Monster of Amstetten”, is brought to his hearing regarding a transfer from the special to normal prison system at the regional court in Krems.
© picture alliance/dpa/APA |
Helmut Fohringer
Fritzl's lawyer Astrid Wagner had obtained a psychiatric report at the Vienna Higher Regional Court.
It certifies that the 88-year-old no longer meets the accommodation requirements, among other things due to dementia.
She herself no longer considers her client to be dangerous.
She is frail and suffers from dementia.
Fritzl imprisoned his daughter for 20 years and raped her thousands of times
Fritzl has been in the Stein correctional facility near Krems for 15 years.
In 2009, the “incest father” was sentenced to life in prison after he locked his daughter in a cellar for more than 20 years, raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her.
The charges in the trial were murder by omission, rape, deprivation of liberty, severe coercion, slavery and incest.
In 1984, in the small Austrian town of Amstetten, Fritzl locked his then 18-year-old daughter in the soundproof cellar of his house.
According to authorities, the wife, who lived on the first floor of the house with the rest of the family, was unaware of any of this.
(ml, mke, dpa, afp)