On April 27, 2008, the world learned of the arrest of 73-year-old Josef Fritzl, who had imprisoned and raped his daughter for about 24 years. A month ago, the “maniac from Amstetten” was sentenced to life imprisonment. But how is this even possible – in our days, in civilized Europe? Opinion of psychiatrist and psychotherapist Pierre Lassus.

Pierre Lassus is a child psychiatrist and psychotherapist, head of the French movement for the protection of children, author of the book “L’Enfance du crime” (“L’Enfance du crime”, Bourin, 2008).

Psychologies: Austrian Joseph Fritzl secretly raped his daughter Elisabeth for almost a quarter of a century. She gave birth to seven children, three of whom grew up without seeing the light of day. He burned the body of a child who died after birth... How can such actions be explained?

Pierre Lassus: Incestuous relationships in which children are born are not at all uncommon - contrary to what many may think. While we do not know how Fritzl spent his childhood, it is likely that he grew up in a family where the prohibition of incest was not accepted unconditionally. Fritzl's case is distinguished by the length of his victims' imprisonment and its technical sophistication. Although other cases of similar violence show that the victim is not necessarily deprived of freedom in order to be forced into silence: her psyche is imprisoned. The fact that Fritzl used the basement speaks of his additional efforts - not to see his daughter and her children as individuals, but to use them as a kind of extension of his own desires, objects of sadistic pleasure. Fritzl cannot be considered the father of Elisabeth and other children; at most, he is only their biological sire. But one person cannot depersonalize another to such an extent, reduce him to a soulless instrument, if he himself has not previously undergone serious internal deformation.

Is it possible that Elisabeth's mother, Rosa Maria Fritzl, was unaware of what was happening in her home?

It is difficult to imagine that she was completely blind to the affairs whose consequences she accepted when she took upon herself the upbringing of her daughter's three children. In her behavior, there is rather a refusal to see and understand: such denial is often found in situations of incest - as a result of the psychological oppression of the father, which extends to the entire family. Sometimes such “ignorance” serves as a pretext for self-justification for the rapist’s accomplices - only later, when his crimes are discovered. Thus, Frenchwoman Monique Olivier, the wife and assistant of serial killer Michel Fourniret, based her defense on the fact that she herself was a victim of her husband’s unlimited power. But true power in such couples is possessed only by the masochism of one of the partners; this trait gives the other the full power of the owner. A person will not allow this to happen to himself without being predisposed to it. Fritzl could only focus his wife’s attention on the details that allowed her to “not see”: her daughter’s fictitious departure from home, her life in a sect, letters in which she allegedly entrusted the care of newborns to her parents.

But the population of the entire city turned out to be “blind”!

This collective “blindness” reveals a form of cowardice. We do not want to see the unbearable - out of fear of what we would be forced to do if we decided to see it. In addition, our culture (starting with the fifth biblical commandment “Honor your father and your mother”*) is generally more oriented in favor of parents, a priori recognizing that they are right. In such circumstances, the voice of children experiencing domestic violence is unlikely to be heard immediately. A child almost has to stand in the middle of the main street with a bloody head for society to intervene and begin to react!

Why, among other crimes of this kind, was Fritzl’s case so widely covered by the media?

I think this can also be seen as the “Natascha Kampusch effect”**: the Fritzl case is an even more terrible version of that sensational story. Moreover, it combined all our worst fantasies and archaic fears: incest; rape; death; torture; imprisonment; sect; a mother who does not protect; Bluebeard's forbidden doors; the basement as a symbol of all our (repressed into the unconscious) destructive feelings and impulses, dangerous secrets, hidden monsters...

What's next for Elizabeth and her children? Is it even possible to recover from such a nightmare?

It's hard to imagine. In such a case, it is very difficult for me to believe in the restoration of the psyche. Especially because I observed internally broken, destroyed people with a distorted personality, whom we are unable to help: they either repeat the actions of their executioners again and again, or continue to inflict on themselves what destroyed them before - only in other, changed forms : illness, drug addiction, self-harm, prostitution...

* Deut. 5:16. ** An Austrian girl was held captive by a rapist from March 1998 to August 2006.

About it

• Bluma Zeigarnik “Patopsychology”, Eksmo, 2008. Detailed analysis of the causes of pathological changes in the human psyche and personality.
• "Abnormal Sexual Behavior," Law Center Press, 2003. An exploration of the origins of disturbed sexuality. With the participation of experts from the State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry named after. V. P. Serbsky.
• Kazimir Imelinsky “Sexology and sexopathology”, Medicine, 1986. Description of the neurophysiology of sexuality - normal and pathological.

Josef Fritzl is a completely self-confident, typical Viennese. Engineer. Communicable. Well, not without cockroaches in our heads, of course, but who among us is without them? Laughs at obscene jokes, maybe a little louder than other men (exclusively in men's campaigns). He is apparently partial to the erotic sphere. So after all, German porn is famous all over the world. Austria and Germany are close countries, the way of life there is very similar.

Apparently, Josef loves sex. He fathered seven children with his wife. He was even convicted of rape in the 60s, when his wife already gave birth to four children. A person has stumbled, who doesn’t? However, his wife did not leave him after this incident. Did you love?

Josef Fritzl is a tough, even cruel man. The wife's sister assures that upon entering the Fritzl house, anyone would smell a permanent smell of fear. The children playing in the room immediately fell silent when the head of the family entered it. Fritzl can't stand the noise. A dictatorial order reigned in the house. The only way out of the “father’s house” was marriage, which is what all the children did as soon as they reached the required age. Get married and run wherever you look.

Josef began raping his daughter, Elisabeth, at the age of 11. And he continued to do this throughout her entire subsequent life. And at the age of 18, he locked her in the basement, where he kept her for 24 years, continuing to rape her. How did the note go, in which Elizabeth said that she had left home for a sect and asked to be left alone? I guess it went very easily. In Austria, children leave home early. They don't hold on to family ties at all. Independence is fostered from an early age, starting from diapers - there is no tight swaddling, the baby is allowed to be active, it is somehow not customary to breastfeed for a long time, although this is an individual matter. Plus the situation in the Fritzl family, perhaps Josef’s wife understood that Elisabeth would be better anywhere than in the family?

But imagine what feelings a mother must have for her child if the child disappears so suddenly, leaving only a note, and this does not cause concern? The mother most likely didn't care. It is unknown how Josef himself mocked her, having a positive attitude towards all kinds of obscenity. Continuing to live in a traumatic environment, Josef's wife (by the way, her name is Rosemary) had to adapt somehow or go crazy. Most likely, she has developed “emotional dullness” - in order not to be hurt, she must not feel pain. Over time, the bullying became easier to bear, and the husband’s despotism became habitual. One way or another, Rosemary did not raise the entire police force and did not try to find her daughter. In addition, with the disappearance of her daughter, the sexual harassment towards Rosemary most likely stopped. This must have brought her serious relief.

Josef and Rosemary's children also knew nothing about their sister's whereabouts. And they didn't want to know. And they can be understood. You want to forget about such a family and never think about it, fortunately they had a chance to cross out their previous life and start living normally. No one of his own free will, being in a more or less intact mind, having escaped from hell, will want to return there.

Hell thickened around Elizabeth and narrowed to the confines of the basement, which dad had lovingly furnished - funny animals on the tiles of the toilet and bathroom, upholstered walls and ceilings with Austrian care and order.

However, Josef is a thrill-seeker. He allows tenants into a room located directly above the basement. He has sex with his daughter without protection and, accordingly, without protecting her from pregnancy. He takes a great risk by placing his own children on his porch with notes from his “sectarian daughter.” Surely he is amused by the sympathy of those around him for the pious family, which produced such an unlucky cuckoo, who abandoned them and nevertheless does not forget to throw up its young.

At the same time, he is annoyed by the squeaking of babies who remain in the basement during his visits to his daughter. The smell of babies, the poop of babies... When he goes upstairs, he is surrounded by noisy children. Why is he doing this? After all, pregnancy in the modern world is easy to prevent. Perhaps their family was religious. By the way, nothing is said about this anywhere, but I do not exclude this possibility. Baptistism is widespread in Austria and Germany. With the birth of children there it is very strict, everyone who was conceived is obliged to be born and contraception is equated to murder. Maybe Josef himself grew up in such a family? These are just my guesses and fantasies. However, strict church prohibitions provoke distortions in personality development, and very serious ones at that. One way or another, there were a lot of children. In total, it turns out that Joseph had 14 children: 7 from his wife, 7 from his daughter. It is clear that children born from the daughter suffered from all sorts of diseases, because incest does not contribute to the emergence of a healthy generation. Sick children make Josef even more irritated. And he increasingly has thoughts of getting rid of it all at once.

Surely many people know Elisabeth Fritzl - the unfortunate victim of her cruel father. This terrible story took place in Austria, in the small town of Amstetten. The investigation into this case lasted a whole year before the culprit got what he deserved. So, what kind of story is this that plunged the whole world into horror, we will find out from our article.

The Story of Elisabeth Fritzl

The world learned about who Elizabeth was in 2008, when the girl managed to free herself from the basement in which her father had imprisoned her. The police kept the details of the case secret, since all the circumstances were not fully disclosed.

It only became known that Elizabeth’s release was preceded by a serious illness of her eldest daughter, 19-year-old Kerstin. The girl, weakened by illness, was brought to the hospital by her grandfather, Joseph Fritzl. It is also known that the doctors were given a written message from her mother, in which she allegedly asked to help her daughter.

The doctors who examined Kerstin were wary, because everything seemed rather strange: the mother who did not arrive, the unusual behavior of the grandfather and the inexplicable condition of the girl who arrived (the doctors were never able to diagnose her). In this regard, it was decided to contact the police.

Basic details of Elizabeth's release

At the time of her release, Elisabeth Fritzl was already 42 years old. From the testimony of the woman herself, it followed that her own father raped her from the age of 11, and when the poor girl tried to escape, he locked her in one of the basement rooms. This event took place in 1984, when Elizabeth was only 18 years old.

It is unfortunate that during her imprisonment the girl gave birth to seven children from her father. He took three of them into foster care, and left the rest in the basement with Elizabeth. One of the babies died immediately after birth. The elder Fritzl burned his body right in the courtyard of the house.

The victim herself told the police all this, and then her father confirmed her words. DNA tests put all the dots in place, which convinced investigators that all this really happened to Elizabeth. It is also noteworthy that the town of Amstetten was considered one of the quietest and calmest in all of Austria. None of those living nearby even suspected that such terrible events were happening very close by.

A few words about the head of the family

The entire time the investigation was ongoing, the police tried to find out new details that would tell us how a father could do this to his own daughter.

People around him claimed that he was always observed to be cruel. In addition, it turned out that the head of the family was intemperate in sexual activity. For example, in 1967 he was arrested for rape. Fritzl spent 1.5 years behind bars. It also became known that, despite having a wife, he used the services of prostitutes, who in narrow circles called him a real sadist.

In the family the man was described as a tyrant. Neighbors and friends of Rosa Maria's wife unanimously said that the woman was very afraid of her husband. It should be noted that, in addition to Elisabeth, seven more children grew up in the Fritzl family.

The horror is that the cruel man did not even bother to lock his victim in a remote place, but built a real prison in his basement. The door to the dungeon where Elizabeth lived was located in her father’s workshop and was covered by a shelf with tools.

According to the family, Fritzl constantly went down to the basement and did not come out for hours. Nobody even suspected what was happening there.

How did Fritzl explain his daughter's disappearance?

The father said that his daughter Elisabeth Fritzl went to a religious sect without explaining anything to anyone. Why the mother did not do anything to search for her daughter still remains a mystery.

Rosa Maria was not alarmed by the fact that Josef began bringing babies one after another into the house, explaining that his unlucky daughter was throwing them up. Three children of Elisabeth Fritzl, whose photo is attached in our article, were adopted by their grandparents. They, like all normal children, attended school, played with friends, while the rest languished in the basement. Unfortunately, the fact of the unexpected appearance of three children in the Fritzl family did not even interest social services.

Have anyone else been recruited?

According to public records, no other arrests have been reported in this case. The mother herself claims that she knew nothing about her husband’s actions. In addition, in court she demanded compensation from newspapers that wrote about her personal life.

As for Fritzl himself, doctors discovered he had serious mental disorders. Apparently, Joseph considered himself a maniac. At his trial, he called himself a “natural-born rapist.”

What was the reason for such deviations in Fritzl Sr.?

The main reason for this abuse was a terrible childhood. As it became known, his own mother beat him and did not allow him to communicate with his peers. Fritzl himself said that he had punished her a long time ago. The woman sat in a closed room for almost 20 years.

Despite the maniac's inappropriate behavior, the court found him sane. Therefore, Fritzl appeared in all his glory before the court and answered for his actions.

What is the punishment for a rapist?

The prosecution in the case of Elisabeth Fritzl, whose photo after her release is in our article, tried to achieve the most severe punishment for the criminal. It turned out that from a legal point of view, rape (in accordance with Austrian law) provides for 15 years in prison, and incest even 1 year.

But the prosecution still managed to achieve maximum punishment for Fritzl on two serious charges: murder and slavery. The first implied life imprisonment. It was proven that the child died due to medical care not being provided on time, so it was Fritzl who was to blame for his death.

In addition, Joseph was accused of two more articles: cruel treatment and illegal imprisonment.

Court

After the investigation was completed, a new problem arose - with the jury. Many candidates refused to participate in the process because no one wanted to listen to the circumstances of such a terrible case.

During this time, the jury managed to listen to the testimony of Fritzl, witnesses, a video in which Elisabeth spoke about her terrible life, the opinions of psychoanalysts, specialists who examined the basement where the cruel father kept his daughter, etc.

It should be noted that Fritzl himself initially denied many circumstances. For example, he claimed that he tried to protect his daughter from drug addiction, and also said that the child was not killed. It is also noteworthy that he accused Elisabeth Fritzl of incitement: the daughter allegedly asked to kidnap another girl so that she would not be bored.

On the third day, Fritzl confessed to all the charges. This happened when Elizabeth herself appeared in the courtroom, who had refused to take part in this for a long time.

As a result, he was sentenced to serve in a prison designed for mentally ill criminals.

Elizabeth's later life

Elizabeth has never appeared in public or given interviews to journalists. The press only flashes photos of the victim before the abduction. It is known that Elisabeth Fritzl and her children currently live in another city under a different name.

As for the eldest daughter, who fell into a coma after a long absence of sunlight in her life, she was saved.

We are unlikely to know what awaits Elisabeth Fritzl after her release. One thing is clear: the less the poor family bothers the public, the faster their life will become normal.

The crux of the matter

In April, Josef was arrested on charges of forcibly confining his youngest daughter, Elisabeth Fritzl. Elisabeth Fritzl; born April 6, 1966), which he kept in an underground soundproof bunker in the basement of his home with. At the same time, she was subjected to domestic violence by her father since 1977. Gradually, their relationship began to be of a sexual nature - incest, as a result, Elizabeth gave birth to 7 children. After Josef locked his daughter in the basement, he reported to the police that his daughter was missing, but after some time he allegedly received news from her so that they would not look for her.

Three children were imprisoned in the basement for their entire lives - daughter Kerstin aged 19, son Stefan aged 18 and son Felix aged five. One child, Michael, died on the third day after birth from respiratory problems, unable to receive medical care. The three remaining children lived in the main house with Josef and his wife Rosemary, with Fritzl organizing their "tossing": Lisa was "thrown" at the ninth month in 1993, Monika at the tenth month in 1994, and Alexander at the 15th month of life in In 1997, they were allegedly given to parents by their runaway daughter. Fritzl also spoke about his daughter’s belonging to a special cult.

When Kerstin's eldest daughter became seriously ill, Josef, at Elisabeth's request, took her to the hospital, a sequence of events that led to the discovery of the crime. Kerstin was diagnosed with a complex form of kidney failure, and doctors requested a medical history, as well as the presence of her mother. The mother's absence aroused the interest of the police (the case of Elizabeth's disappearance came to light), and the case found its way into the press and onto television. Fritzl produced a letter from Elisabeth, which spoke of a "cult", but the letter aroused the suspicion of a local cult specialist. Fritzl had to bring Elisabeth to the hospital, where they were immediately arrested by the police and separated. When the police assured Elizabeth that she would not return to her father and that her children would not be left unattended, she told the whole story of the 24-year imprisonment that led to the criminal case; A genetic test confirmed Josef's incest and paternity.

On March 19, 2009, 73-year-old Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment by the district court of the Austrian city of St. Pölten. Fritzl will serve his sentence in a special prison medical facility for the mentally ill. The jury found him guilty on all five charges: incest, false imprisonment, repeated rape, keeping people in slavery and murder by omission.

The German rock band Rammstein dedicated their song to this incident. Wiener Blut from the album Liebe ist für alle da. Another German metal band Caliban dedicated the song "24 Years" to this incident.

Similar incidents

see also

Bibliography

• Cawthorne, Nigel Walled up. 24 years in hell. - Ripol Classic, 2009. - 352 p. - 7000 copies. -

Proceedings surrounding an Austrian electrical engineer from the small town of Amstetten, Austria.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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Subtitles

The crux of the matter

In April, Josef was arrested on charges of forcibly confining his youngest daughter Elisabeth Fritzl (German: Elisabeth Fritzl; born April 6, 1966), whom he kept in an underground soundproof bunker in the basement of his home since . At the same time, she was subjected to domestic violence by her father since 1977. Gradually, their relationship began to be of a sexual nature - incest, as a result, Elizabeth gave birth to 7 children. After Josef locked his daughter in the basement, he reported to the police that his daughter was missing, but after some time he allegedly received news from her so that they would not look for her.

Three of Elisabeth's children were imprisoned in the basement for the rest of their lives - daughter Kerstin, aged 19, son Stefan, aged 18, and son Felix, aged five. One child named Michael died on the third day after birth from respiratory problems, deprived of the opportunity to receive medical care. The three remaining children lived in the main house with Josef and his wife Rosemary, with Fritzl organizing their "tossing": Lisa was "thrown" at the ninth month in 1993, Monika at the tenth month in 1994, and Alexander at the 15th month of life in In 1997, they were allegedly given to parents by their runaway daughter. Fritzl also spoke about his daughter’s belonging to a special cult.

When Kerstin's eldest daughter became seriously ill, Josef, at Elisabeth's request, took her to the hospital, a sequence of events that led to the discovery of the crime. Kerstin was diagnosed with a complex form of renal failure, and doctors demanded a medical history, as well as the presence of the mother. The mother's absence aroused the interest of the police (the case of Elizabeth's disappearance came to light), and the case found its way into the press and onto television. Fritzl produced a letter from Elisabeth, which spoke of a "cult", but the letter aroused the suspicion of a local cult specialist. Fritzl had to bring Elisabeth to the hospital, where they were immediately arrested by the police and isolated from each other. When the police assured Elizabeth that she would not return to her father and that her children would not be left unattended, she told the whole story of the 24-year imprisonment that led to the criminal case; A genetic test confirmed Josef's incest and paternity.

On March 19, 2009, 73-year-old Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment by the district court of the Austrian city of St. Pölten. Fritzl will serve his sentence in a special prison medical facility for the mentally ill. The jury found him guilty on all five charges: incest, false imprisonment, repeated rape, keeping people in slavery and murder by omission.

The German industrial metal band Rammstein dedicated their song to this incident Wiener Blut from the album Liebe ist für alle da. Another German metalcore band Caliban dedicated the song "24 Years" to this incident. French death metal band Benighted dedicated the song "Fritzl". Also, the Russian metal band Satrapy dedicated the song “Elizabeth” to this occasion.