Josef Fritzl Transfer Approval in Austria
A court in Austria has approved the transfer of Josef Fritzl, the incest rapist, to a regular jail as he is deemed unlikely to commit a crime at 89 years old. Fritzl, who has changed his name, infamously imprisoned and repeatedly raped his daughter in a cellar for over 24 years, resulting in the birth of seven children.
Background
In 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment, a year after the discovery of his heinous crimes. Since then, he has been held in a psychiatric unit for mentally ill individuals deemed highly dangerous, located in Krems, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Vienna.
Court Ruling
The Krems regional court’s recent ruling stated that Fritzl can now be transferred to a normal detention facility as he no longer poses a significant danger that warrants placement in a psychiatric unit. The decision was based on Fritzl’s advanced dementia, physical decline, and reduced likelihood of committing serious criminal offenses.
Probation Period
As part of the ruling, a 10-year probation period has been set for Fritzl. This decision follows a hearing on April 30, during which updated assessments by psychiatric experts were presented. While the verdict can still be appealed within the next two weeks, Fritzl’s lawyer expressed confidence that the ruling will not be contested.
Josef Fritzl’s lawyer, Astrid Wagner, described the court’s decision as a significant success and mentioned plans to apply for his conditional release from jail by 2025. Fritzl was convicted of various crimes, including murder by neglect, incest, sequestration, grievous assault, and thousands of counts of rape.