Austrian incest father pleads guilty to all counts

Incest father pleads guilty to all counts - Europe- msnbc.com

updated 9:31 a.m. PT, Wed., March. 18, 2009

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 homicide. The move came after his daughter appeared unexpectedly in the courtroom.

Surprising even his lawyer, Josef Fritzl calmly acknowledged his guilt on the third day of a trial that has drawn worldwide media attention for its shocking allegations.

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

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Fritzl had been charged with negligent homicide, enslavement, rape, incest, forced imprisonment and coercion. Initially he had only pleaded guilty to incest and forced imprisonment. The change of plea means he could face up to life in prison for the negligent homicide charge — literally "murder by neglect" in German.

Elisabeth was 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. He then raped her for years.

Testimony 'must really have shaken him up'

Asked by the presiding judge what had led him to change his mind, Fritzl said it was the testimony from Elisabeth — the court had viewed 11 hours of her videotaped statement during closed-door sessions Monday and Tuesday.

Fritzl's lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, said Fritzl had asked to see a psychiatrist after Tuesday's session.

"It must really have shaken him up," he said, referring to Elisabeth's testimony.

However, a person familiar with the trial told The Associated Press that Elisabeth herself was in the courtroom on both days — suggesting her presence alone might have unnerved Fritzl and prompted him to change his pleas.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the closed-door proceedings.

Other officials would not confirm that Elisabeth was there. Before the trial, prosecutors had said she would not be present and would testify only through her prerecorded remarks.

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Daughter confronts incest father in video

The homicide charge came for the death of an infant twin boy — Michael — 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.

Video

See the cellar

Take a virtual tour of the cellar where Elisabeth Fritzl was imprisoned for 24 years. The MSNBC documentary airs Sunday, March 22, 9 p.m. ET.

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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. Prosecutors have described her as a "broken" woman.

Psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner told the court Wednesday that Fritzl had a very serious personality disorder and would pose a threat to others even at his advanced age if freed. She recommended that Fritzl serve out his sentence in a special prison facility for psychologically deranged criminals.

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.

Mayer, his lawyer, had previously said Fritzl only saw the newborn once it was already dead.

CONTINUED : Fritzl shows face on third day

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There's more if you want to read on, but ew. EW!! :sneaky:

This sicko should be hung by his toenails in the town square, flogged and beaten to within an inch of his life. I have ZERO tolerance for this kind of sick twisted behavior.

ZERO!!

totally agree with you, i hope he rotts in hell.

Why do people have to be so f*cking sick?

This story is heartbreaking. I feel so badly for her and the kids. How will they ever be able to live a normal life? They wont. Putting him in prison for the rest of his life isn't punishment enough, cause how long does he have to live when he's in his 70s already? What about his wife? You can't tell me she didn't know there was a dungeon downstairs? All this time she never was curious about what was in it or where her daughter disappeared to? Or maybe that wasn't her daughter. Either way, she's just as guilty. What about this womans mom? If his wife wasn't her mom, then where was her mom when her daughter disappeared at age 18? How sad for the kids. They will need alot of prayer and counseling. This man is mentally deranged. Sick!

I just can't believe that he was able to get away with this for so long . . . 24 years is horrific. If it was out in the middle of the country in a farmhouse, it would make more sense. If she never made it out of that basement once in 24 years, she would have had to go through pregnancy, childbirth and everything else on her own without medical intervention.

I feel very sad for that poor woman and her children as well. This man knew he was doing wrong or he never would have worked so hard to keep it hidden.

And now there is a similar case in I think it was Italy. A father and his son abused the daughter/sister for many years. Awful! According to the article I read, she cannot live on her own due to them keeping her away from society for so long.