Josef Fritzl writes book from prison in attempt to be reconciled with his family
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Loading... - Mira Farago
- 26 May 2023
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An Austrian man, who confined his daughter in an underground chamber for a span of 24 years and subjected her to repeated sexual assault, has authored a book while serving his prison sentence. In the book, he expresses a desire for eventual reconciliation with his family. Josef Fritzl, now 88 years old, was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous acts, including murder, enslavement, rape, and incest. Collaborating with his lawyer, Astrid Wagner, he penned the book.
The ordeal began in 1984 when his daughter Elisabeth Fritzl vanished at the age of 18. It wasn't until April 26, 2008, that she was discovered in a concealed cellar beneath their family residence in Amstetten, Austria. Shockingly, Elisabeth had unwittingly assisted her father in constructing the hidden chamber. Wagner revealed that Fritzl approached her to aid in publishing his memoirs and become his legal representative. "I agreed. He then sent me the manuscript, and I undertook the editing. Since then, I have been his lawyer," she disclosed to the tabloid Bild.
According to Wagner, Fritzl, similar to many criminals, fails to comprehend the enormity of his crimes. "They need to confront and come to terms with their guilt," she explained, perceiving his book as an attempt to elucidate why he deviated to such extreme measures.
Within the pages of his book, titled "The Abysses of Josef F," the incarcerated Fritzl expressed his bewilderment at his wife, Rosemarie, severing all contact with him. In a recent interview with the Sun, he conveyed his hope of reuniting with his family someday. "I genuinely believe that one day I will see them again," he declared. "I understand those who wish for me to remain imprisoned for life, but I yearn to taste freedom once more."
Fritzl currently resides in Stein, a highly secure psychiatric prison situated in Krems on the banks of the Danube River. The possibility of his release after 15 years exists in theory, although Wagner emphasized the extreme unlikelihood of such an occurrence.
