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As baby lay dying, Fritzl told daughter: What will be, will be
Robert Mendick and Dave Hill18 Mar 2009
The last moments of Michael Fritzl's short life were revealed in court documents today.
Michael and his twin brother Alexander were born on 28 April 1996, but complications set in.
The court heard: "Elisabeth Fritzl realised weeks before that she was expecting twins, as a result of the excessive movement in her stomach and the excessive weight gain.
"She informed Josef Fritzl about her suspicions. As she went into labour, Fritzl was present in the cellar and he came to check on Elizabeth every few hours during her labour.
"At the time of birth at around 18.50 Fritzl was present in the cellar, as he had just finished having dinner. The first to be born was Michael.
"A few hours after the birth Michael began to have breathing difficulties. His situation was clearly life threatening." As he visited every few hours over the following days, Fritzl "fully comprehended that the new-born was in a dire situation". The report added: "Instead of calling for emergency care Fritzl simply told Elisabeth: 'What will be, will be.'" Michael died on 1 May.
Michael probably died of an infection that would have been treatable if he had had access to intensive medical care and been born in a hospital. Alexander survived and spent 15 months in the cellar before being taken upstairs.
Reader views (1)
God only knows how Elisabeth coped throughout those pregnancies and births. It seems incomprehensible that the poor woman suffered in the knowledge that she was carrying twins and would have no access to any obstetric care. I cannot imagine what she went through under the circumstances, I wonder if she needed stitches or antibiotics, access to proper sterile & sanitary wear. Poor Elisabeth, in some strange way I believe someone or something was looking after her.
- Andrea Herron, CREWE UK, 18/03/2009 18:44
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