(a) It now emerges that numerous people were well aware that Fritzl raped his daughter regularly from age 11, and said nothing. The tenant for 12 years (HALF the imprisonment) “thought he heard something,” and had a dog that was intensely interested in the cellar door, yet he “didn’t want to get involved.” The mother, an intelligent woman with an employment history and nobody’s fool, probably did not know about the dungeon; on the other hand, terrified for her life (as were they all) and tired of beatings, she moved away for nine years (until he burned down her dwelling place, and she “had to return”), leaving her children in the tyrannical control of one she knew was a monster.

(b) In fairness to those who, by their silence, facilitated the rape and abuse and imprisonment, it seems quite clear that the police–who were unwilling even to anger Fritzl by insisting on seeing in his cellar, when he was suspected of arson on three different occasions–would have protected neither the victims nor the reporters, all of whom Fritzl would have egregiously punished for their reportage. They could have reasonably believed (or convinced themselves) that reporting would help no one and only harm both the victim and themselves.

Changing what some call a national habit of purposeful ignorance requires both (a) and (b). If Austria wants to change its reputation, it will do both.

It is very likely indeed that there are hundreds of such cases yet to be discovered, all over the world.

Mods and Admin

Either all cellars and attics, outhouses, garages or other hiding places, or none