23 January 2024 , 23:57
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Infamous incest monster Josef Fritzl has been spotted drinking coffee in public by worried locals, it has been reported.
Fritzl was jailed in 2009 after he admitted fathering seven children with his daughter Elisabeth in an underground dungeon, where he held her prisoner for 24 years.
His horrifying crimes made headlines around the world. Now, local media in Austria has reported sightings of him at coffee shops near his prison in Krems an der Donau, Austria, apparently as part of preparation for his release.
Regional weekly newspaper Bezirksblatt claimed that Fritzl "has been seen in different cafes of Krems."
One staff member at the newspaper who has been covering the Fritzl case for many years told Newsflash that she had been "told by several people I fully trust that they have seen him", with "several trusted acquaintances" reporting sightings independently from each other.
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After 15 years behind bars, the pensioner will become eligible for parole in March (CEN)
Fritzl kept his daughter Elisabeth prisoner for 24 years and fathered seven children with her (Ian Vogler)Judicial officials have refused to comment on the report. The sightings follow the now 88-year-old Fritzl's attempts to secure release from the secure psychiatric wing of Stein Prison. After 15 years behind bars, the pensioner will become eligible for parole in March of this year under Austria's lenient sentencing laws. Inmates who are judged ready for parole can be freed, depending on their conduct and mental and physical condition.
Fritzl, who has repeatedly asked to be released, is set to have his case reviewed by justice and prison officials. As well as suffering from Alzheimer's disease, he is also said to be so frail that he now needs a walking frame to get around.
Adelheid Kastner, one of Austria's most renowned psychiatrists, said Fritzl was no longer a threat to society and would be incapable of carrying out any crimes. Psychiatrists and medics continue to monitor his condition.
Fritzl, who changed his name to Mayrhoff in an alleged attempt to evade physical attacks by other inmates, has reportedly applied for an early release several times in the past two years. His lawyer Astrid Wagner, who last year published a book based on a series of his letters, suggested that a new life in a care home is "within the bounds of possibility".
She said: "I personally see a chance for a release. He fulfils all the criteria. This man is almost 90 years old and his mental condition is deteriorating. He needs support and care."
She explained that she is able to communicate normally with him most of the time apart from the "odd lapses", including a delusion that his daughter had married Boris Becker. "The next time I saw him, he told me they had broken up", she said.
Josef Fritzl repeatedly raped and abused his daughter Elisabeth, who gave birth to seven children. One, who died at birth with breathing difficulties, was heartlessly tossed in a furnace by Fritzl. Three were brought up in the basement with their mother, and three others were brought up as foundlings by sick Fritzl and his wife.
In his trial in 2009, Fritzl pleaded guilty to rape, false imprisonment, manslaughter by negligence and incest. She has since changed her name and has received support from the authorities in protecting her identity and the well-being of her children.