Judges in Austria rule on a case - Josef Fritzl (89) leaves a maximum-security institution.
The notorious Fritzl, known as one of Austria's most infamous criminals, received a life sentence in 2009 for holding his daughter captive in a dingy basement apartment in Amstetten for an astonishing 24 years and abusing her to conceive seven children.
A dubious expert view
Professor Adelheid Kastner's assessment was crucial for the shift in Fritzl's situation. Kastner deemed Fritzl, nicknamed the "Monster of Amstetten," no longer risky enough to merit confinement in a specialized mental health facility.
Fritzl reportedly said unsettling things a year ago, such as: "My family will forgive me."
The details of the expert report
As per the experts' views, Fritzl's health has significantly deteriorated over time, with a "comprehensive, progressive dementia" and "physical decline." The prisoner's combined personality disorder, which originally warranted his incarceration, has diminished to the point that Fritzl's malicious traits have "faded," and "the inmate's potential for committing crimes with serious consequences is negligible."
The verdict from the tribunal
Simultaneously, the court ordained that Fritzl could not be released on parole following his regular prison term - meaning he wouldn't be freed from prison. Despite no longer being a dangerous individual, it remained uncertain whether Fritzl, who now used a different name, would commit additional transgressions in the future.
Wagner, Fritzl's attorney, argued on his behalf at a court hearing that Fritzl's worsening physical condition made him no longer a threat to society. She claimed that her client, who had osteoporosis (bone loss) and needed a walker, was so disoriented due to his dementia that he thought he was a favorite in the community.
Background: How Fritzl's crimes were revealed
His reprehensible acts were uncovered when his oldest incest child (19 years old at the time) fell into a critical state in 2008, compelling Fritzl to bring her to the hospital. Five years later in 2022, Fritzl wrote a letter to Wagner from prison. Since then, the lawyer from Vienna has been representing Fritzl in court, regularly visiting him. They co-wrote a book together, titled "The Abysses of Josef F."
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Source: symclub.org
