Wondering

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...88-661,00.html

Excerpts here - click link for whole article (long)

May 01, 2008 11:15am

THE children born to an Austrian woman impregnated by her father and kept prisoner for 24 years are now playing in the spring sunshine.

They have even celebrated a birthday together, the doctor in charge of their care said today.

Berthold Kepplinger, director of the psychiatric clinic in the Austrian town of Amstetten, told reporters the traumatised victims were happy to be united and helping each other recover from their ordeal.


"The children are able to play at the clinic, get some exercise, move about freely. They have their own toys and other belongings with them and they are being cared for by a team of minders," Kepplinger said.

"Yesterday we even threw a small, improvised birthday party for the 12-year-old with a birthday cake and everyone was delighted."

Josef['s]...wife Rosemarie, 67,...has told investigators she had no inkling of her daughter's fate.

Rosemarie made a heart-wrenching apology to her daughter during an emotional reunion with her 42-year-old daughter Elisabeth.

On seeing her frail, white-haired daughter for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, Rosemarie Fritzl said: "I'm so sorry - I had no idea".

"The two women fell into each other's arms and just wept bitterly," Mr Kepplinger said.

"They held each other and did not want to let go.

"They said they loved each other and pledged never to be separated again.

"Rosemarie clearly had no knowledge of Elisabeth's terrible fate."

Two of Elisabeth Fritzl's children who spent their entire lives hidden in the so-called "house of horrors" - Stefan, 18, and Felix, five - were also introduced for the first time to their three siblings who lived upstairs with Rosemarie and Josef Fritzl.

Lisa, 16, Monika, 14 and Alexander, 11, - who were taken from Elisabeth at birth and lived with her parents - never knew about their brothers' existence or their 19-year-old sister Kerstin who remains in hospital in a coma.

Elisabeth's other son, Alexander, who was also fathered by Josef Fritzl, died shortly after he was born, with his corpse allegedly burned by the 73-year-old in the backyard.

Police also revealed the excitement that Felix and Stefan expressed at meeting strangers for the first time and riding in a car to the clinic for their family reunion.

"They had never known anything like it - they had only ever seen cars on TV in the dungeon," chief inspector Leopold Etz said.

"They were just open-mouthed with awe and were nudging each other and pointing. They had never even seen the moon. Everything was new."

Doctors said Felix and Stefan were unable to speak properly due to the effects of being locked up their entire lives.

The brothers, who had never seen sunlight, also have defective immune systems, are suffering from vitamin D deficiencies and have problems with their posture.

Their sister Kerstin...has lost all of her teeth.

Franz Polzer, head of the Lower Austrian Bureau of Criminal Affairs, said there was "no evidence" indicating that Rosemarie Fritzl knew what was going on, or was involved.

Elisabeth Fritzl and her family are being counselled at a secret location while Austrian authorities consider providing her and her children with new identities.

Meanwhile, former tenants at the Fritzl house have spoken at their horror over what had happened to the family.

Alfred Dubanovsky said he had seen Josef Fritzl take wheelbarrows full of food into the cellar where Elisabeth and her children were imprisoned, but never thought people were hidden inside.

"I wish to God that I could turn the clock back," he said.

"The signs were all there but it was impossible for me to recognise them.

"Who would ever believe something so terrible was going on right under my feet. It is a regret I will have to live with for the rest of my life."

The more I read the sicker I get. What a tragedy for that poor family. Whatever time they have left together will never make up for those other precious years. That poor mother must be on the verge of a breakdown now that everything is sinking in -- very sad.

There's got to be more to this story than we're hearing. I realize that abuse works on the mind even more so than the body and I could understand the mother's fear of her tyrant husband. But if she claims that she didn't know what was happening, I can't imagine that anyone would believe that. There are just too many unanswered questions and so far, the entire story rates a giant question mark.

There were two entrances to the cellar - one was a "regular" one, the other had two heavy door operated by remote control behind a bookcase.

When the cellar (not inc 'apartment') was built, a building inspector came to see it, and it was passed. A year later Elisabeth was dragged down to the 'apartment'. (Fritzl was an electrician, so knew how to wire the place).

He also threatened the downstairs group by saying he would gas them if anything ever happened to him.

Other reports say he was a total tyrant at home. Both 'homes'. His wife had had seven children with him, and had likely long ago learned to not question anything he did.