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Dungeon demon Fritzl undergoes first psychological tests to see if he will stand trial
Last updated at 01:22am on 14.05.08Psychiatrists have began testing Josef Fritzl to establish if he is insane.
His lawyer claims that 73-year-old Fritzl is mentally ill and should not go to prison for locking his daughter Elisabeth in his cellar for 24 years, repeatedly raping her and fathering her seven children.
Fritzl has also claimed his mind was affected.
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The secret dungeon where Elisabeth was hidden for 24 years and gave birth to seven of her father's children
He will undergo months of testing to judge if he was aware of the horror he was inflicting and should die in jail, or if he is too mad to be held responsible and should be sent to a secure psychiatric hospital.
The results of the tests could decide whether he spends the rest of his life behind bars in prison or whether he is treated in a secure psychiatric hospital similar to Broadmoor.
Over the coming months, a team of experts led by Dr Adelheid Kastner will monitor his behaviour, interview him in minute detail about his life and conduct tests to see if he is suffering from a personality disorder which could explain what he did.
Fritzl held his daughter Elisabeth in a purpose-built dungeon under his home from the age of 18.
He subjected her to repeated rapes and the kept three of the children underground their entire lives.
Dr Kastner, head of the forensic psychiatry department of the Linz Psychiatric Clinic, said: "In very few cases, some of the subjects have tried to fake a mental condition in a bid to appear unfit for trial.
"But that is a rare occurrence and it can hardly be successful, as any condition that would deem a person unfit for trial is very complex and with a number of specific symptoms."
Elisabeth Fritzl: 'A tower of strength'
Dr Ludke said: "Fritzl was delusional and enjoyed being the master of life and death.
"He enjoyed this fantasy of having all the power - he was like Frankenstein.
"He had the role of a partner in his relationship with his mother. He idolised her.
"It is clear he suffered emotional abuse at her hands.
"He changed from being the victim to the abuser. He was abused himself and that's why he became an abuser."
Meanwhile, Elisabeth, 42, and his two separate families were continuing treatment at the psychiatric clinic a few miles from their home in Amstetten, Austria, where they are expected to remain for many months.
Reader views (10)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
"To what advantage?"
Because if he can fake a mental insanity defence the difference would be a life sentence in a mental institution or a death sentence in a regular prison. He is already being threatened where he is at now, he will most likely be murdered (and good riddance) if he is sent to a typical prison.
- Ian James, Portland, OR, USA
I think Josef Fritzl should be locked in a cell for 24 years with "Bubba" where he can be raped on a regular basis. He should not be allowed to see the light of day during these years. It seems a fitting justice. Crazy? No way! This man planned and executed his plan with precision and covered his tracks with perfection. This doesn't sound "impaired" in any way, shape or form.
- David, Oregon, USA
Lock him away and brick the door up, and the lawyer who is representing him, he's as bad for defending scum like this.
- Neil Grinsell, London
"This guy strikes me as clever enough to be able to fool the testers to his advantage. I just hope they can spot that."
To what advantage? As Rogan pointed out, he's looking at a life sentence (and almost certainly one that will effectively mean until the end of his life) regardless of the outcome of the tests.
So what it boils down to is: would he prefer to spend the rest of his life in the company of ordinary criminals or the criminally insane?
- Michael, London
This guy strikes me as clever enough to be able to fool the testers to his advantage. I just hope they can spot that.
- The Other Jk, SE Lunnon
I pray Elisabeth and her children are taken care of so they can experience the simplest of life's pleasures without any worries in the future. They deserve that much. I think the dungeon that her father built for her would make a great prison for himself now.
- Mary, San Diego, USA
If the man is insane then he needs to be in a secure unit where he cannot harm anyone else for the rest of his life. If he isn't insane he needs to go to a secure unit where he cannot harm anyone else for the rest of his life.
Where's the problem?
- Rogan, DFW Texas
Anyone who defends this man as mentally insane, his house should be inspected because there he is probably keeping a sex slave somewhere.
This guy has tricked a lot of people and he wants to continue tricking people. Insanity is when someone's actions does not make sense to him or to other people. This one makes sense to him. He knows exactly what he is doing. Do not insult Elisabeth with the insanity defence. 15 years for every year he incarcerated Elisabeth.
- Liz, Pasadena, California, USA
Fritzl has already claimed he knew he was doing wrong but did it anyway. That is good enough to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt if he is mad or bad. Bad he is.
- Sam, USA
So for 24 years he lies to his wife, family and everyone else. He lead a basically normal life on the outside and kept the fact that he had imprisoned, raped and had children with is own child a secret and had known what he was doing was wrong...Not insane. How about an insanity narcissist who thinks he is going to get away with ruining lives. I say lock him up and throw away the key.
- Lin, CT, USA
