An Austrian man who kept his daughter captive for years and had seven children with her could be released from prison soon.
According to Metro, Josef Fritzl was convicted in 2009 on charges of enslavement, rape, incest, murder, and false imprisonment. Prosecutors said he kept his daughter, Elisabeth, locked in the cellar of the family home in Amstetten for 24 years.
Fritzl is now 88 and up for parole this year. A psychiatric evaluation concluded that he is no longer considered a threat, increasing the likelihood of his release. He’s reportedly frail, has difficulties walking, and relies on a walker to get around.
“I am already in the process of obtaining a conditional discharge for him,” Fritzl’s attorney, Astrid Wagner, told Kronen Zeitung. “If the application is approved – which I assume will be the case – I would like to ensure that he gets a place in a home for frail people.”
Fritzl locked his daughter inside the “horror chamber” when she turned 18, telling police that she left home voluntarily and did not want to be found. While holding her captive, Fritzl raped her countless times, resulting in seven children, including a newborn boy who passed away when Fritzl refused to seek medical help.
In 2008, however, Fritzl relented and allowed his daughter to take one of the children to the hospital. While there, she told police she had been held against her will for decades. Fritzl was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Now, according to forensic psychiatric expert, Heidi Kastner, Fritzl’s mental health is also deteriorating. He believes that he is a “pop star,” talks to the television, and insists he was visited by family members who haven’t seen him in prison.
Kastner’s assessment indicated that Fritzl is no longer considered a threat and may undergo a transfer within the standard prison system at Krems-Stein jail, marking an initial move toward his potential release.
She also suggested the possibility of moving Fritzl to a nursing home. The court will ultimately decide his fate, Kastner said.
Fritzl’s previous bid for freedom in 2002 was blocked by Austrian High Court judges, who ordered him to stay at a maximum security prison and reversed the plans to send him to a more lenient jail.
Elisabeth, who was given a new identity post-trial, currently lives with her six surviving children in an undisclosed community known as “Village X” in Austria, the Mirror reports.
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[Feature Photo: Defendant Josef Fritzl stands in the courtroom of the provincial courthouse in St. Poelten, on Thursday, March 19, 2009. Josef Fritzl was convicted of homicide, enslavement, incest, rape and other charges Thursday and sentenced to life in a psychiatric prison for holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering her seven children. Fritzl, 73, sat calmly and bowed his head as the verdicts by the Austrian jury 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. (AP Photo/Robert Jaeger, Pool)]
