Josef Fritzl’s lawyer issues fresh demand for prison release before his 90th birthday tomorrow
Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.
Josef Fritzl's lawyer has made a new demand as the criminal's 90th birthday fast approaches.
The convicted rapist has been behind bars since 2009, after he pleaded guilty to charges of murder by negligence, and imprisoning and raping his daughter for years.
Fritzl's crimes rose to prominence in the late 2000s, as it was discovered that he had imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth in a prison he built in his cellar for 24 years.
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He made her write letters pretending she had run from home and joined a cult, when in reality, Fritzl was repeatedly raping his daughter and fathering seven children with her.
But now, his lawyer is pushing for the criminal to be released from prison.
Having claimed that he is no longer a danger to society, his legal team have asked for the soon-to-be 90-year-old to be released from prison and be paroled.
Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, is pushing for the convict to be released on his 90th birthday (9 April) in particular, as according to Heute, she said: "He needs special therapy. He wants to experience being released from prison."
The 89-year-old is currently suffering with dementia, and though he was moved to a regular prison in 2024, the intention is for him to be released altogether to receive proper care at a dementia centre for his deteriorating health.
Firstly, Fritzl would need to be taken to a local court, where an expert would assess his mental state.
Fritzl had been serving a life sentence in a prison unit for 'mentally abnormal' inmates before being transferred.
While a request to get the criminal fully released from prison was turned down, Dr. Wagner plans to request a transfer to a dementia centre at the Krems Regional Court.
The lawyer said on her podcast: "He's in good health.
"He wants to see his release from prison."
While the 15-year period has passed for him to be eligible for parole, this looks highly unlikely following his heinous crimes.
Out of the seven children he fathered with his daughter, one died shortly after birth, and three of them were taken upstairs to live with him and his wife.
The remaining three children were kept in the basement.
Fritzl was eventually arrested after one of the children had to be taken to hospital.
Previously speaking to The Mirror, Dr. Wagner said: "He believes that when he is released, he will come out to a big celebration with people cheering and music and wanting to shake his hand.
"This is obviously not the case. It is a fantasy. I don’t think he fully understands what the world really thinks."
LADbible has reached out to Josef Fritzl's lawyer and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice for comment.
Topics: Crime, Mental Health, World News
Joshua Nair