The Austrian rape monster who fathered several children with the daughter he locked in a secret dungeon cellar will almost certainly be back on track for release from prison soon, his lawyer reveals.
Josef Fritzl, 89, who secretly held his daughter captive between 1984 and 2008, raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. But today the Krems Regional Court met to decide whether to overturn a recent court ruling seeking to block his bid for freedom.
Speaking to MailOnline, his Vienna-based lawyer Dr. Astrid Wagner: ‘The court decision will be announced in writing in the coming days. But although I officially have to wait for the court’s written ruling, I have already spoken to the various experts.’
“So it is almost certain that my client will be released from the maximum security prison, and he and I are very happy about that.”
“My client has cooperated with the experts, submitted to numerous medical examinations, including brain scans, undergone therapies and experts have long since concluded that 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 Krems Regional Court met to decide whether to overturn a recent court ruling that sought to block his bid for freedom
Speaking to MailOnline, his Vienna-based lawyer Dr. Astrid Wagner: ‘The court decision will be announced in writing in the coming days. But although I officially have to wait for the court’s written ruling, I have already spoken to the various experts.’
In January 2024, the Krems Regional Court ruled that Fritzl no longer posed a threat to society and could therefore be transferred from a high-security prison to a normal prison.
“He is an older man, remorseful for his crimes, and he has repeatedly shown remorse for his crimes, and this must be recognized.”
“Society cannot choose who can benefit from the Austrian justice system: it is for everyone in the country, and this includes my client, who has already served his time in prison.”
In January 2024, the Krems Regional Court ruled that Fritzl no longer posed a threat to society and could therefore be transferred from a high-security prison to a normal prison.
This was widely seen at the time as the first crucial step in a process that could then result in the terrifying prospect of Fritzl being released from prison.
But prosecutors subsequently opposed this decision. And the Vienna Supreme Court subsequently ruled that ‘…the facts necessary for such parole had not yet been fully clarified.’
Opposing this measure, the Vienna Regional Court subsequently ruled that the Krems District Court had made the wrong decision and that Fritzl still had the potential for aggression and thus still posed a danger.
But today, Fritzl’s lawyer managed to convince the court that her client is entitled to the full benefits of Austrian justice, including release from a high-security prison if he is not dangerous.
Fritzl – who changed his name to Mayrhoff in an alleged attempt to avoid physical attacks from other prisoners – was imprisoned in 2009 after admitting to raping his daughter Elisabeth (pictured) and fathering seven children with her.
Elisabeth and her children lived in the basement of the parental home in Amstetten, while Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie lived above it
Elisabeth lived with her children in this filthy, cramped basement for 24 years
“Society cannot choose who can benefit from the Austrian justice system: it is for everyone in the country, and this includes my client, who has already served his time in prison.”
Fritzl’s horrific crimes, including rape, coercion and imprisonment, sent shock waves in 2008.
For more than twenty years, he held his daughter captive in a cramped and moldy cellar in Amstetten, Austria, and fathered seven children with her.
The discovery of his sickening crimes only occurred when one of his daughters became seriously ill, forcing him to seek medical attention.
Fritzl was tried in March 2009 on a gruesome litany of charges, including murder, rape and slavery, and given a life sentence.
However, due to the progression of dementia, Fritzl’s future has become uncertain.