I wrote yesterday about the possibility of Josef Fritzl “only” receiving 15-20 years for what he has done to his daughter. While Josef is an old man (reports list him as 73) medical technology has improved to the point I would not be surprised if he was able to survive that term. He has seemingly such an inflated sense of self worth that he would survive just to spite everyone. The thing that really turbocharges this story and makes you wonder what is going on in the Austrian justice system is that Josef Fritzl has previously shown his inability to control his “urges”. He has confessed to this crime and said that he was not able to control his actions, even though he knew right from wrong. The raw desire of wanting to satisfy his urges outweighed the social contract.
What gives me the feeling of a distinct lack of confidence in the Austrian justice system is a story that I can across yesterday.
Here is a picture of 16 year old Josef Fritzl in school. Notice the military outfit…It looks like his “Hitler made me do it…” defense has some credibility. They look like they are clearly from the same stock…
When Elisabeth was still a toddler, Mr Fritzl was convicted of raping a woman in Linz in 1967 and was sentenced to a term in prison. However, under current Austrian law, unless the crime carries a life sentence, a conviction must be removed after no more than 15 years.
While that is enough to get you to shake your head, or even in some cases declare that the man served his time for the crime committed (he really didn’t, since he got out and was able to slip through the cracks in the system) the fact that the seeds were planted early in his criminal career, why would the conviction ever be removed for such a serious crime?
Where you have to just turn your feelings off and attempt to shake the feeling of dread and hopelessness is at the next story.
On the left, its everyone’s favorite criminal, Josef Fritzl and his barrister (lawyer for us simple folk here in America) Rudolf Mayer. Please play particular attention to the quotes that are attributed the barrister…
10 months prison for raping 4-year-old girl several times
Another strange court decision in context to child abuse is reported in today’s Austrian newspaper “Kronen Zeitung”.
A 55-year-old man was sentenced to a prison term of 10 months for raping a 4-year-old girl several times. Even employees of the court house were shaking their heads after such a decision. As the man already spent 10 months in prison before, he was a free man after the trial.
Josef Fritzl may also hope to find such a gentle judge. His barrister is one of the best in Austria. It seems money is not a big issue for Josef Fritzl.
The barrister of Fritzl already caused a stir when he told that his client should not be in prison. Yesterday he described Josef Fritzl as caring person and loving father, who worries about his family now. “If he would be a monster, his 19-year-old daughter would never arrive in hospital”, the barrister told yesterday on Austrian TV.
Another statement of the barrister on TV: “It’s not proven if my client has raped his daughter.”
Austrians are quite upset about such opinions. The barrister receives a lot of hate e-mails. “He should be also locked in a dungeon with Josef Fritzl”, was the reaction of the vast majority.
A former lodger of the “horror house” claims that Fritzl has once told him he is going to make history with his house.
I don’t know what to say after the last story. I don’t hold out hope that Elisabeth Fritzl and her children that were spawned with a child of the devil, will ever see redemption or redress for the crimes committed. It’s clear that a revamping of their “justice” (real loose with the definition…) system is in order, post haste.
