Elisabeth Fritzl and children thank public for support

  • Breaking
  • 15/05/2008

Victims of an Austrian incest crime are speaking out for the first time, thanking the public for its support and expressing hope they will be once again lead normal lives.

The victims are relatives of Josef Fritzl, who confessed last month to locking up his daughter in a dungeon below his home for 24 years and fathering seven children with her.

Fritzl's wife, daughter and six surviving cellar children say in a handwritten poster displayed in downtown Amstetten that public sympathy is helping them make it through this difficult time.

Most of the victims are currently recovering from their ordeal in a psychiatric clinic and the family lawyer representing Elisabeth Fritzl, his daughter, said in Vienna on Wednesday that the former captive is making amazing progress.

"In fact, and with the passing of some time, I was very surprised how strong Elisabeth is, how she deals with the situation and how much she takes care of the whole family," said  Christoph Herbst.

"And in some ways it was very impressive how fast the family came together," he added.

Elisabeth's father, 73-year-old Josef Fritzl, was detained last month in the Austrian town of Amstetten on suspicion of locking up his daughter for 24 years and fathering her seven children.

Authorities say Fritzl confessed to locking up his daughter and repeatedly raping her.

Investigators say he also told them three of the children were raised in a cellar at his home in Amstetten, while three others were brought up by him and his wife Rosemarie, and one died in infancy.

DNA tests have confirmed Fritzl is the biological father of the six surviving children.

On Wednesday, Herbst described much of the media speculation about Elisabeth Fritzl's condition as "nonsense".

"Elisbeth is an attractive woman, does not look old or drawn in some way, like it is always speculated in the media. She's really a very attractive woman who would not draw attention if she was sitting here," he said.

Herbst said Elisabeth and her children were communicating "absolutely normally".

"If a family member were sitting here next to us, you would not find a difference. This is a quiet normal relationship, actually with a very selective and very nice use of language. So, one does not notice any of the things that were implied or believed by people outside," he said.

Josef Fritzl's alleged double life began to fall apart when Elisabeth's oldest child, a 19-year-old woman, was taken to hospital with a severe infection.

Unable to find medical records for the woman, doctors appealed for her mother to come forward.

Fritzl accompanied Elisabeth to the hospital on April 26 and was detained after she divulged what had happened to her.

source: newshub archive