The Austrian rapist monster who fathered multiple children with the daughter he locked in a secret dungeon cellar will almost definitely soon be back on track for release from prison, his lawyer reveals.
Josef Fritzl, 89, who secretly imprisoned his daughter from 1984-2008, raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. But today the Regional Court of Krems met to decide whether a recent court ruling trying to block his bid for freedom should be reversed.
Speaking to MailOnline, his Vienna-based lawyer, Dr. Astrid Wagner said: ‘The court decision will be announced in writing in the next few days. But although I officially have to wait for to receive the court decision in writing, I’ve already spoken to the various experts.’
‘So, its all pretty much fixed that my client is going to be released from the high-security prison, and he and I are really happy about that.’
‘My client has co-operated with the experts, submitted himself to countless medical assessments, including brain scans, undergone therapy and experts have already long concluded he no longer poses a threat to society.’
Josef Fritzl , 89, who secretly imprisoned his daughter from 1984-2008, raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. He is seen during his trial in 2009
The Regional Court of Krems met to decide whether a recent court ruling trying to block his bid for freedom should be reversed
Speaking to MailOnline, his Vienna-based lawyer, Dr. Astrid Wagner said: ‘The court decision will be announced in writing in the next few days. But although I officially have to wait for to receive the court decision in writing, I’ve already spoken to the various experts.’
In January 2024, the Regional Court of Krems ruled that Fritzl no longer posed a threat to society, and therefore could be moved from a high-security prison to a normal prison
‘He is an elderly man, full of remorse for his crimes, and he has repeatedly shown remorse for his crimes, and this must be acknowledged.’
‘Society cannot pick and choose who can benefit from the Austrian system of justice: it is there for all in the country, and this includes for my client, who has served his time in prison already.’
In January 2024, the Regional Court of Krems ruled that Fritzl no longer posed a threat to society, and therefore could be moved from a high-security prison to a normal prison.
This was then widely viewed as the first crucial step in a process which could then result in the terrifying prospect of Fritzl being released from prison.
But prosecutors then opposed this decision. And the Vienna Higher Regional Court then ruled that ‘…the facts necessary for such a conditional release had not yet fully been clarified.’
Opposing this measure, the Vienna Regional Court then ruled in that the District Court of Krems had made the wrong decision, and that Fritzl still had the potential for aggression, and so was still a danger.
But today Fritzl’s lawyer managed to convince the court that her client has a right to all the benefits of Austrian justice, which includes being released from a high-security prison if he is not dangerous.
Fritzl – who changed his name to Mayrhoff in an alleged attempt to evade physical attacks by other inmates – was locked up in 2009 after he admitted to raping his daughter Elisabeth (pictured) and fathering seven children with her
Elisabeth and her kids lived in the basement of the family home in Amstetten while Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie lived above
Elisabeth lived in this dingy, cramped basement for 24 years with her children
‘Society cannot pick and choose who can benefit from the Austrian system of justice: it is there for all in the country, and this includes for my client, who has served his time in prison already.’
Fritzl’s heinous crimes, including rape, coercion, and imprisonment, sent shockwaves across in 2008.
For over two decades, he held his daughter captive in a cramped and mouldy basement in Amstetten, Austria, fathering seven children with her.
The discovery of his sickening crimes occurred only when one of his daughters fell critically ill, forcing him to seek medical help.
Facing trial in March 2009 for a horrific litany of charges, including murder, rape, and slavery, Fritzl was handed a life sentence.
However, with advancing dementia, Fritzl’s future has become uncertain.