Josef, An Emotionally Broken Man-Why Should We Care?

        Josef Fritzl aged 73 is supposedly, “an emotionally broken man”, according to his  lawyer, Rudolf Mayer.  Josef came to be known to the world, last week, as the twisted father from Austria.   He admitted to imprisoning his 18 year old daughter for 24 years so that he could sexually assault her; in his specially designed dungeon, in secret rooms, underneath the home that he shared with his daughter Elisabeth’s mother.

         The man allegedly kept his daughter on a leash like an animal in that basement for the first nine months or so.  Then, over the 24 years, he fathered 7 children with her.  One of those children died days after birth and he put it’s body into the furnace.  He “allowed”  3 of the children to be raised by himself and the grandmother; she believed her daughter ran off to join a cult when she was 18 and couldn’t care for the children.

         The man was convicted of raping another woman when Elisabeth was about to be born.  He served time for that offense about 18 months.  After that time…he had been planning this dungeon with evil intent.

          The lawyer claims that Josef is an emotionally broken man…and many would say, why should we care?  We should care because this man is someone who could be studied to deconstruct the mind of someone so hideously mis-wired as to do this kind of harm to his own flesh and blood.  We can learn alot from the workings of his mind; so that we could hopefully prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening to another human being.

         If they let this man off from serving the rest of his days in a prison somewhere because of his “brokeness” then, there is no justice.  He has destroyed the lives of so many people.  Elisabeth and her children will forever struggle just to heal from this scarring of their minds and bodies.  Josef does not deserve to live out his remaining time on earth in a mental hospital. 

         We should care that he is broken only out of respect for those lives that he tried to destroy and control.  They deserve to know that he is serving his time in a prison that he cannot escape from…just as he sentenced them when he was in control.   I pray that somehow…they are able to heal enough to have some joy in life. 

         I must say that i am inspired by Elisabeth’s courage to survive all of those years.  To care for her children the best that she could.  Even now, she helped the authorities by going back into that place where he kept her imprisoned to help them to know more about this horror she lived for 24 years.  May God bless her and the family.

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Derranged Daddy Destroys

       By now, most of you have probably heard about the derranged daddy who destroyed the lives of at least 8 people.  They lived in Austria.  He locked his 18 year old daughter in his specially designed, tiny basement for 24 years.  He abused her;  impregnating her 7 times.  One of the babies died soon after birth; and, the father allegedly put the baby into the furnace.  What a psychological nightmare…something out of an almost unbelievable book of fiction; that noone wants to read.

        Over the years, he had the daughter write a letter saying she could not care for her 3 of her children…after she “disappeared”.  The mother raised three of the children.  How could she do this and not push for some answers?  Did she push for answers?  Or was she just as abused in her own way by this man?   Three more of the children were locked in this basement along side of their mother.  This is the only world they have ever known.  The trauma,fear and pain they must all be in seems almost too much to bear.

       Many people are saying…did the mother know> how could she NOT know?>why would she not push to know more>   There is so much that we do not understand at this time; i am afraid there will be even more horrors to come out in time.  For instance, who helped him build this basement with secretive rooms?  Why didn’t authorities search his home when the daughter went missing?  How did food and water…and other basic necessities keep them alive without SOMEONE KNOWING?  And if someone did know…how could they not do something to end this world of pain and suffering?  There are more questions than answers at this point in time.

       The father admits this horror is true.  His daughter and her three children, that were confined, are getting help; but it may take a lifetime.  But truly, is any amount of help ever going to allow these poor people to live a normal life?   They certainly deserve to live in peace and safety. 

        What about the three children who lived “upstairs” with their grandmother and for lack of a better term GRANDFATHER?  Were they abused?  How will they process the fact that they lived right above their mother and siblings?  How will they deal with the knowledge that their mother and siblings lived like caged animals while they did not?  There is going to be long term mental health treatment for all of these people. 

        They have never had education, normal human interaction, health care, or freedom.  It must be a bit like flying into space and finding an alien environment and being forced to land there and function. 

         And let’s talk about the father…how does someone become such a detached person to cause such damage to those you are “wired” to love and protect in a normal way?  What a contemptible situation for human beings to be in. 

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