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Fritzl, 73, is charged with rape, incest, kidnap, false imprisonment, slavery, and also, murder for the death of his daughter Elizabeth’s son Michael, who died 3 days after birth.

Fritzl had imprisoned Elizabeth in the cellar of the house when she turned 18 and started to rebel, he had lured her down to the cellar, drugged her and imprisoned her thereafter. Until then she had lived upstairs with the family.

She was first abused by her father when she was 11, and now at age 42, she recalls on video for the high security trial, the years of incest and rape which resulted in the birth of 7 illegitimate children born to her father.

Three of the children, Kerstin, Stefan, and Felix, were imprisoned along with their mother for the whole of their lives in the dark, cramped cellar.

The three other children were raised by his wife Rosemarie and Fritzl in their upstairs home. Fritzl told his wife that the orphan children had been left outside their home to be cared for at different stages.

Quite often Fritzl did not deliver food to Elizabeth and her children and they went for days on end starving and in the dark, as he would deprive them of light as an added punishment.

He told his wife and neighbours that Elizabeth had run away and joined a religious cult. He warned his daughter if she ever cried out, or tried to escape, he would gas them all.

A convicted rapist in 1967, Fritzl is said to have struggled with thoughts of rape, saying “I was born to rape” and by locking up his daughter he was containing his evil side to within the house. To him it seemed rational.

Fritzl has been diagnosed as having a severe sexual disorder along with a severe combined personality disorder. The forensic psychiatrist recommended that Joseph Fritzl receive psychiatric care for the rest of his days.

His daughter Elizabeth will probably suffer from trauma, brought on by her experience for the rest of her life. All 3 children brought up in the cellar are receiving ongoing psychiatric treatment.

They made up their own way of communicating with each other whilst locked in the cellar. They spoke in growls and grunts much like an animal and the boy still walks with a stoop, as he was taller then the restricted height of the cellar.

He took to crawling on all fours and regressed to animal state. The crimes against these children are abominable, and how they progress into normal life only time will tell.

The lack of oxygen in the dungeon was lethal and daughter Kerstin remains in hospital in a drug induced coma, suffering from the severe effects of oxygen deprivation.

It was her admission to hospital in 2008, that ultimately led to Fritzl’s downfall and the reign of the Monster, Fritzl was brought to an end.

Ironically, it is thought that Fritzl was about to release the cellar family into the upstairs household, as Elizabeth had long lost her appeal to Paedophile, Fritzl. It is thought that he had turned his attentions to Elizabeth’s daughter, and his granddaughter, Kerstin.

When officers first entered the basement they had great trouble breathing and had to drill holes to let some air through.

There were no windows and no natural light and all 3 children suffered from chronic vitamin deficiency.

Did his wife know of the goings on in the bunker? - Probably. A neighbour witnessed her helping fritzl carry food down to the cellar.

I would call that aiding and abetting. Though at present she has not been charged with any offences.

The dual life which Fritzl led was quite normal, in his mind, and he separated the two into his two different existences; upstairs and downstairs.

How a supposed nurturer could turn into tormentor is beyond comprehension in this day and age and I would normally say that conscience would in turn become Fritzls tormentor. But in this case there is no moral conscience.

His daughter Elizabeth was made to take care of each of her births herself from books Fritzl had bought her. She was terrified of delivering the babies and circumstances and lack of oxygen caused one baby to die heartbreakingly in her arms.

The 5 day trial starts tomorrow, though the press and public are to be excluded for most of it to protect the victims.

I don’t suppose we’ll ever find out what really went on behind the electronically closed doors and no doubt the monster Fritzl will carry his sordid secrets to his grave.

Joseph Fritzl is expected to be locked up for the rest of his life for his crimes against his daughter and the murder of his grandson. -