Josef Fritzl has claimed he is a ‘good father’ in an apology letter for his evil crimes as he fights for freedom from prison.
This comes after he was granted parole from a prison for the mentally ill by an Austrian court on Thursday, shortly after the 88-year-old monster was photographed outside the prison for the first time in 15 years.
Fritzl, who was imprisoned in 2009 after admitting to repeatedly raping his daughter Elisabeth and fathering seven children with her while he held her captive in his basement for 24 years, has written a letter expressing remorse to his victims .
‘I deeply regret all my actions. Kind regards, Fritzl,” the incestuous rapist wrote.
“I was actually a good father,” he claimed, saying that he saved money for the “children’s education,” visited them often, helped with chores and even let them learn instruments “and so on.”
Josef Fritzl was released on parole from a prison for the mentally ill by an Austrian court on Thursday, shortly after he was photographed outside the prison for the first time in 15 years
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.
Fritzl is escorted to the fourth day of his trial at the provincial courthouse in St. Poelten, Austria, on March 19, 2009.
“I know I made a mistake with one of my daughters, and I regret it.” The sun reported that Fritzl said in his apology letter. “But other than that, I think I was actually a good father.”
Fritzl said he was no longer dangerous and was in fact “the opposite,” stating that he had no “sexual desires for women.”
He said he felt freer in prison than in the “outside world” – where he “lived a double life for ten years” as he locked up his daughter Elisabeth and repeatedly raped her.
The Beast said that now that he had given up his double life, he could give up that “pressure” because he didn’t have to “carry the weight” of hiding the “secret” that he repeatedly raped his daughter.
After he gets out of prison for good, which could be as soon as a year from now, Fritzl reportedly plans to “live in nature” and buy a goat.
Fritzl – who reportedly changed his name to Mayrhoff in an alleged attempt to avoid physical attacks from other prisoners – complained that prison was a “huge shock.”
He said that before his incarceration he had been a successful businessman, but that I “suddenly had to live like a real, classic criminal.” He said he was “bullied” by other inmates, which he found unpleasant.
This comes after it was reported that Fritzl was ‘almost in tears’ today after being granted parole from prison this week.
A panel of judges in Krems ruled on Thursday that he would be transferred from prison for being “mentally abnormal” to a normal cell, paving the way for his permanent release.
Fritzl took children’s clothing and lingerie with him on his trip to Thailand
Elisabeth lived with her children in this filthy, cramped basement for 24 years
The convict was reportedly spotted outside the prison – where he is serving a life sentence – drinking coffee at several local cafes this week.
Images of Fritzl – captured through a police van window as he was bundled through the back of the Landesgericht court at 7.20am on Thursday – also emerged, in what were the first photos of him from the outside in years.
Fritzl has been in prison since his conviction in 2009 for incest, rape, slavery, coercion and the murder, through neglect, of his newborn son.
But he suffers from progressive dementia that causes absent moments but was able to follow the procedure, said his lawyer Astrid Wagner.
The hearing followed a psychiatric assessment that found he no longer posed a threat of recidivism, Austrian media reported.
Wagner said today after the hearing: “We have been successful. It was a long hearing. He again said that he regrets what he did.
“He was actually almost in tears,” she added. ‘In summary, the court came to the conclusion that my client is in fact no longer dangerous.’
“He is now being transferred to a regular prison, but must undergo regular psychiatric examinations,” she said.
A court spokesman confirmed the verdict, which prosecutors can still appeal.
The street where Elisabeth was kept in a cellar for more than twenty years
Fritzl pleaded guilty to rape, false imprisonment, negligent homicide and incest
The court heard the case of Fritzl – one of Europe’s most notorious criminals – behind closed doors, while a crowd of media gathered outside the court. He was taken to court in a police van which pulled into a garage at the rear of the court and was led into the courtroom without being visible to the public or media representatives.
The sightings came as an attempt to free Fritzl from the secure psychiatric ward came to a head. After fifteen years behind bars, the perverted pensioner will be eligible for parole in March this year under Austria’s lenient sentencing laws.
Inmates who are ready for parole can be released depending on their behavior and their mental and physical condition.
Fritzl has repeatedly asked for release. In addition to suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, he is also said to be so weak that he needs a walker to get around.
Adelheid Kastner, one of Austria’s most renowned psychiatrists, said Fritzl no longer poses a threat to society and would no longer be able to commit crimes.