DNA 'backs Austrian incest claim'

 

Questions have been asked as to how Mr Fritzl could keep the cellar a secret

 

DNA evidence supports an Austrian man's confession that he fathered six children by his daughter while keeping her prisoner for 24 years, police say.

 

Lower Austria police chief Franz Polzer said Josef Fritzl, 73, had completely deceived his wife, his family and the authorities in the town of Amstetten.

 

Hospital officials meanwhile said Mr Fritzl's daughter and her children had experienced an "astonishing" reunion.

 

They met at the clinic where they are receiving psychiatric treatment.

 

Earlier, Mr Fritzl was detained for a further 14 days by a regional court in the provincial capital of St Poelton. On the advice of his lawyer, he did not speak to the examining magistrate.

 

His lawyer told the BBC that although Mr Fritzl showed no signs of remorse, he looked very sad and "emotionally broken".

 

Reunion

 

Speaking at a news conference in Amstetten afterwards, the director of the psychiatric clinic at a local hospital said Fritzl's daughter Elizabeth, now 42, had been reunited with five of her six children and her mother there on Sunday morning.

 

KEY FACTS IN CASE

 

Elisabeth reappeared at home after disappearing 24 years ago

Six children she says are hers have been found and placed in care

One of the children, aged 19, is seriously ill in hospital

Elisabeth's father Josef Fritzl, 73, has been arrested on suspicion of incest and abduction

Police say Mr Fritzl confesses to imprisoning Elisabeth and fathering her seven children

 

 

Profile: Josef Fritzl

Hope for children of the cellar

Coming to terms with the horror

 

"It was astonishing how easily it happened - how the mother and grandmother came together," Berthold Kepplinger said.

 

Three of the children were kept in the cellar with their mother and had never seen daylight. The other three were adopted or fostered by Mr Fritzl, after he forced Elisabeth to write letters saying she could not look after them.

 

The eldest, 19-year-old Kerstin, became seriously ill earlier this month and had to be taken to hospital, where she is currently in a coma. She was imprisoned by Mr Fritzl along with her 18- and 5-year-old brothers.

 

Police have said there is no evidence to suggest the grandmother, Rosemarie, nor any of the seven children she had with Mr Fritzl, were aware of any of the alleged crimes.

 

Mr Kepplinger said the family members had interacted very naturally, although he said two of the children who had spent their lives underground had a way of communicating that was "anything but normal".

 

"The children are quite well, they are under investigation, there is a professional team consisting of psychiatrists, neurologists, psychotherapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, a whole team is working on this," he said.

 

"One important thing is not to over treat them."

 

Mr Kepplinger said Elisabeth had spoken "quite a lot" about what she had gone through in captivity, but declined to provide details.

 

"It was definitely dreadful for her and for her children," he added.

 

'Decisive evidence'

 

Speaking at the same news conference, police officials said their investigations and genetic evidence gathered since Sunday had confirmed statements made by Elisabeth and Mr Fritzl's confession.

 

"The DNA tests provided decisive evidence that the six children that Elisabeth gave birth to have the same father," Franz Polzer said.

 

 

 

Police chief on Austrian case

Mr Polzer said that letters which Mr Fritzl had forced Elisabeth to write had played an important part in deceiving his family and the authorities since her disappearance in 1984, when he allegedly lured her into the cellar of their house and locked her up.

 

The first letter said Elisabeth had run away, joined a religious sect and asked police not to look for her. Others explained why she had left three of the children on the doorstep of the family home over the years.

 

Mr Polzer said the last two letters Elisabeth was forced to write had provided considerable evidence to confirm her allegations. The second to last was found in the clothes of Kerstin, when she was admitted to hospital on 19 April.

 

Mr Fritzl also had another letter with him, Mr Polzer said, where his daughter raises the possibility of returning to the family, bringing with her two sons, aged 18 and five years old.

 

Mr Polzer said Mr Fritzl had shown the last letter to police as evidence that he did not know about his daughter's whereabouts.

 

He looks very sad. It is like he is emotionally broken

 

Rudolf Mayer

Mr Fritzl's lawyer

 

"The biological tests show clearly that this letter, a normal letter with a stamp, was without doubt created by one Josef Fritzl," he added.

 

"You can be sure that this man left nothing undone in order to deceive the family, his wife, the relatives, the children and everybody around him," he added. "He had no scruples to use every possible means to deceive the public and cover up his crime."

 

Mr Polzer said official records showed that Mr Fritzl had no criminal convictions from the past 15 years and that the statute of limitations would apply to any earlier offences he may have committed.

 

'No sympathy'

 

Police investigations at the house are meanwhile continuing. The cellar where Elisabeth and three of her children were held captive is being searched inch by inch, in addition to the upstairs flat.

 

Prosecutors have said Mr Fritzl faces up to 15 years in prison if he is eventually convicted on charges of raping and beating his daughter, and sequestration.

 

 

 

Natascha Kampusch's concern for victims

They are also considering charges of "murder through failure to act" in connection with the death of one of the seven children he fathered. Police said on Monday that Mr Fritzl had admitted burning the infant's body shortly after it died.

 

Asked whether Mr Fritzl would plead guilty to any of the charges, his lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, told the BBC:

 

"He had made... a confession, but I will speak to him about whether this is right or not."

 

Mr Mayer said his client had not shown any remorse for what he is accused of doing.

 

"I can tell you that no sympathy is there at all. The print mediums and all the televisions in Austria write that he is a monster, and no sympathy, nothing."

 

"He looks very sad. It is like he is emotionally broken," he said, adding that his client was receiving psychiatric care in prison.

 

The BBC's Bethany Bell says the case is reminiscent of that of Natascha Kampusch, the Austrian teenager held captive in a cellar in a house in a Vienna suburb for eight years, who ran to freedom in 2006.

 

On Monday, Ms Kampusch, now 20, told reporters that she wanted to contact Elisabeth to offer emotional and financial help.

 

 

Inside Josef Fritzl's cellar dungeon

 

A hidden concrete door concealed a network of small rooms

For 24 years Elisabeth Fritzl and three of her children lived an isolated life in three tiny underground chambers, deprived of natural light and room to move around freely.

 

The rest of the Fritzl family lived in the house upstairs and had been forbidden by the domineering Josef Fritzl from ever going into the cellar, where the dungeon was.

 

The secret location was so well hidden that when the police searched the property they failed to find it until Mr Fritzl showed them where it was.

 

The dungeon is entered via a narrow passageway leading into rooms that include a cooking area and shower facilities, with children's drawings on the walls.

 

The cellar rooms cover an area of approximately 60 sq m (650 sq ft).

 

They are reached through a massive reinforced concrete door which was hidden behind a shelf in Mr Fritzl's workshop, which was in the cellar under the family house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORF, Austria's public broadcaster, reports that the workshop and cellar area was strictly off limits to the Fritzl family members who lived upstairs.

 

The secret door was electronically locked and could only be opened with a special code and a remote control - which Mr Fritzl is reported to have carried with him at all times.

 

 

The tiny rooms were decorated with pictures and personal belongings

 

 

The dungeon is divided into cells - some parts no more than 1.70m (5.6ft) high.

 

A narrow corridor, five metres long, leads to an area which includes cooking facilities and a small bathroom with a shower. The floor is uneven and bumpy. A tube provided ventilation.

 

Police said there were also two bedrooms - each containing two beds. At least part of the dungeon appeared to be padded and well sound-proofed.

 

Police have refused to circulate pictures of the victims' sleeping areas or possessions to the press, saying they wished to protect their privacy.

 

The rooms are described as being neat and tidy. There are no windows. The three children who lived in the cellar, 19-year-old Kerstin and her two brothers aged 18 and five, had never seen daylight, and grew up with artificial light.

 

They had no fresh air and no room to exercise or run around. Hospital officials said the lack of oxygen may have contributed to Kerstin's illness. She remains in a critical condition. Police described the two boys as very pale, small and weak.

 

 

A narrow passageway led to separate sleeping areas

 

 

Children's paintings and posters were hung on the walls. Police say there was a television with a video player and a radio.

 

All of Elisabeth's seven children were born in the dungeon without medical supervision. One died shortly after being born.

 

As Mr Fritzl's secret family grew, he began to enlarge the dungeon. Police say it is still unclear how he managed to carry out this construction work secretly, as well as deliver food and clothing to Elisabeth and the three children without being noticed.

 

They believe the underground dungeon was originally one room, equipped only with washing facilities, which was gradually enlarged over the years. It is thought Mr Fritzl may also have expanded under the house's garden.

 

Amstetten authorities authorised the building of a cellar in 1978, city spokesman Hermann Gruber told the Austria Press Agency.

 

Mr Gruber said inspectors examined the project in 1983 - the year before Elisabeth went missing - and did not notice anything suspicious, but that he believed Mr Fritzl had not stuck to the original plans but had secretly expanded the cellar area.

 

Source - BBC News

 

Frankly, I'm surprised no one started a thread on this already....

 

Shocking... Truiy horrible... The more I find out about this, the more sickened I am by it... Why do the most fukked up occurences of this sort of thing seem to happen in "sleepy, quiet little towns" or villages....? Living in a city like London, I hear about some seriously fukked up things happening, but THIS is just beyond anything that I hear about happening in the "evil, big city". I just cant believe that no one ssked any questions, or reported concerns to the police... I certainly dont believe for a minute pleas of ignorance from the mother (I mean, WTF??? She doesn't wonder where all these kids are coming from???? She doesn't wonder what happened to her daughter????). Was it more a case of people in this 'quiet, close-knit community' just didn't actually want to know....? Or ask questions....?

 

Director David Lynch once made a film about the evil that exists within the heart of small towns - "Blue Velvet", but hell, that sure seems tame compared to this......

 

Yeah, the mum not knowing anything is very suspicious to me as well. Apparently, the police tested it out, and you genuinely cant hear anything from it in the main house... thats fine, but surely she wouldve got suspicious when he was missing for long periods of time, and when he bought more food than was necessary etc.? My suspicion is that she knew he had someone down there (probably not WHO though), but didnt have the guts to do anything about it.

Also, apparently he went on holiday for about 2 weeks to Thailand every year. How then did the people in the cellar get food during that time? Something doesnt add up, and Ive got a horrible feeling more disgusting details are yet to come out...

You have to feel sorry for Elisabeth, and the two oldest kids in the cellar, theyll probably never have a normal life. The 5-year-old perhaps has a decent chance though...

I was actually sickened when I read this, which is not something I feel often tbh. When I talked to people about it today (being trainee journalists we all have a vested interest), everyone reacted with really obvious shock and horror. I feel so sorry for that daughter, and the kids - none of them will get over this, no education, no fresh air. And when they find out how they were conceived...

 

And I'm with Danny, I think the mum HAD to be behind this in some way. How can you not realise?!

This is such a sickening case, and I do agree with what else has been said in this thread that something doesn't add properly, as it really doesn't. The kids who were locked in the cellar especially must be in such poor health, no vitamin D from the sunshine, and never having seen daylight for 19 years for the eldest really is something.

 

I think it's a certainty that more gorey details will emerge within the coming days...

I think everyone has been stunned and horrified by the events in Austria. It seems incredible that this was going on for all those years and nobody even suspected what was happening. It does seem especially hard to believe that his wife was totally unaware that her daughter was living in the same house. Surely she must have questioned things especially when her daughters children started appearing. My heart goes out to Elizabeth and her children. They face a long struggle to recover both physically and mentally from their horrific ordeal. As for her father, prison is too good for him, he's an absolute monster.

As for her father, prison is too good for him, he's an absolute monster.

 

When I see people like him, I realy wish I believed in Hell.... Because he's gonna get the 'Pineapple up the arse' treatment for all eternity a'la Hitler in "Little Nicky" if there is such a place.....

 

Just how can you do that to your own daughter.... Unspeakable, evil fukkin' man....

i resisted starting a thread on this as its sooo dispicable , i can guess what peoples feelings on this are and the speculation that will ensue.

If Natasha Kampusch, who was kept 8 years in captivity, will probably be suffering from trauma for the rest of her life, I can't even imagine how will it be for Elisabeth and the children who never saw daylight.

This makes me feel sick to the stomach and also very sad for those poor poor children. :(

 

 

This guy is just so unbelievable, there isn't any words bad enough i can describe him :angry: I don't think he will even survive in prison. :angry:

hes 73..... he could never be punished enough.

 

i cant start to fathom the mind of a father who could bring up a daughter then subject her to this evil.

Grimly, don't think is there no one here who could have done a good job posting this other than you.

 

This is a very shocking case I've witness on tv. Can't believe there are such cruel monsters out there. The only punishment I can think of is probaby locking him up and not letting him see sunlight.

If Natasha Kampusch, who was kept 8 years in captivity, will probably be suffering from trauma for the rest of her life, I can't even imagine how will it be for Elisabeth and the children who never saw daylight.

 

She was actually interviewed on Newsnight tonight... She said something very interesting.... She put what's been happening in Austria down to the legacy of Nazism and WW2, and the suppression of women, and also Authoritarian, Patriarchal education systems....

 

....She left out religion.. But let's face it, that's probably part ot it too (I mean, look at what's been going on in the States in that compound with all these bloody religious cult "Mormon" freaks)... I'm just willing to bet that this maggot was probably a "god-fearing Christian"..... <_<

And the lodger lived there for 12 years and heard all these 'tapping' noises but never did anything about it. Nor did he think it strange when he spotted Herr Monster continually disappearing down corridors every night with a wheelbarrow full of food and water.

 

Come on. What the feck???? :wacko:

It's absolutely incredible that no one suspected anything at all. This man was making alterations down in the basement, he was wheeling food in too. The footage of him sunning himself in Thailand and having massages on his sunbed whilst his daughter and her children were imprisoned, made me sick to the stomach.

It's absolutely incredible that no one suspected anything at all. This man was making alterations down in the basement, he was wheeling food in too. The footage of him sunning himself in Thailand and having massages on his sunbed whilst his daughter and her children were imprisoned, made me sick to the stomach.

 

Oh yeah, the "holidays in Thailand", where he took off on his own for four weeks at a time... Without the missus.... Yeah, we all know what happens in Thailand dont we.... No 1 on the p****'s Holiday Destination List innit....? <_<

 

Oh yeah, the "holidays in Thailand", where he took off on his own for four weeks at a time... Without the missus.... Yeah, we all know what happens in Thailand dont we.... No 1 on the p****'s Holiday Destination List innit....? <_<

That's exactly what I thought when I heard where he'd been taking his holidays.

I don't wanna seem dumb. But how was he caught?

I don't wanna seem dumb. But how was he caught?

 

 

 

I think he let her take one of the kids to hospital because it was ill.

This was on the Sky news yesterday. The first time i heard about it too.

 

He raped his daughter more than 3000 times and the rest of it all too results in One Word dispicable.

 

 

What an absolutely revolting piece of trash in the meanings of this man. Unforgiveably horrific thing to do. :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

Edited March 20, 200916 yr by Rock N Rolla

The vile man was found guilty of all charges and is prisoned for life but is this enough? In the papers it reports that he will spend his life in a cushy jail with the following facilities:

 

* Own cell with shower, TV and personal computer

 

* A small pet “for company”

 

* Choice of plants and pictures to decorate cell

 

* Good natural light” and a view of prison courtyard

 

* Classes including ceramics, basketry, woodwork and carpet-making

 

His poor daughter experienced a much more worse jail life and he is going to experience sod all. This isn't justice!