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DNA 'backs Austrian incest claim' DNA 'backs Austrian incest claim'
(about 1 hour later)
DNA evidence supports an Austrian man's confession that he fathered six children by his daughter while keeping her prisoner for 24 years, police say.DNA evidence supports an Austrian man's confession that he fathered six children by his daughter while keeping her prisoner for 24 years, police say.
Lower Austria police chief Franz Polzer said Josef Fritzl had completely deceived his wife, his family and neighbours in the town of Amstetten. Lower Austria police chief Franz Polzer said Josef Fritzl, 73, had completely deceived his wife, his family and the authorities in the town of Amstetten.
He said the 73-year-old had forced his daughter, Elisabeth, to write letters saying she had run away. Hospital officials meanwhile said Mr Fritzl's daughter and her children had experienced an "astonishing" reunion.
Mr Fritzl was earlier detained for a further 14 days by a regional court. They met at a clinic where they are receiving psychiatric treatment.
He said nothing to the court in the provincial capital of St Poelton on the advice of his lawyer, who met him earlier in the day. Earlier, Mr Fritzl was detained for a further 14 days by a regional court in the provincial capital of St Poelton.
Officials said Mr Fritzl faced up to 15 years in prison if eventually convicted on charges of rape and sequestration. He said nothing to the examining magistrate on the advice of his lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, who met him earlier in the day, prosecutors said.
Asked whether Fritzl had shown any remorse for what he had done, Mr Mayer told the BBC:
He looks very sad. It is like he is emotionally broken Rudolph MayerMr Fritzl's lawyer
"I can tell you that no sympathy is there at all. The print mediums and all the televisions in Austria write that he is a monster, and [he has] no sympathy, nothing."
"He looks very sad. It is like he is emotionally broken," he added.
Officials have said Mr Fritzl faces up to 15 years in prison if he is eventually convicted on charges of rape and sequestration.
Prosecutors said they were also considering charges of "murder through failure to act" in connection with the death of one of the seven children he fathered.
Police said he had admitted burning the dead infant's body shortly after the child died.
'Decisive evidence''Decisive evidence'
Speaking at a news conference in Amstetten, Mr Polzer said police investigations and genetic evidence had confirmed statements made by Elisabeth and the confession Mr Fritzl had made during questioning. Speaking at a news conference in Amstetten, Mr Polzer said police investigations and genetic evidence gathered since Sunday had confirmed statements made by Elisabeth and the confession Mr Fritzl had made during questioning.
Police chief on Austrian casePolice chief on Austrian case
"The DNA tests provided decisive evidence that the six children that Elisabeth gave birth to have the same father," he said."The DNA tests provided decisive evidence that the six children that Elisabeth gave birth to have the same father," he said.
Mr Polzer said that letters which Mr Fritzl had forced Elisabeth to write had played an important part in deceiving his family and the authorities since her disappearance in 1984, when he allegedly lured her into the cellar of their house and locked her up.Mr Polzer said that letters which Mr Fritzl had forced Elisabeth to write had played an important part in deceiving his family and the authorities since her disappearance in 1984, when he allegedly lured her into the cellar of their house and locked her up.
The first letter said Elisabeth had run away and joined a sect. Others explained why she had left three of the children on the doorstep of the family home, he said. The first letter said Elisabeth had run away, joined a sect and asked police not to look for her. Others explained why she had left three of the children on the doorstep of the family home over the years.
Mr Polzer said the last two letters Elisabeth was forced to write had provided considerable evidence to confirm her allegations.
The second last was found in the clothes of her 19-year-old daughter, Kerstin, when she was admitted to hospital on 19 April with a serious illness. Kerstin is currently in a coma in intensive care.
"The letter was written by Elisabeth, who pretends to be very sorry about what had happened to Kirsten and that she is so ill," he said.
"Josef had another letter with him," he added. "In this letter, we find confirmation that his daughter was still missing, had run away, and was living in an unknown area."
Elisabeth was kept in a locked cellar with no windows for 24 years
Mr Polzer said Mr Fritzl had shown the last letter to police as evidence that he did not know about his daughter's whereabouts, saying he had received it by post.
"In this letter, the daughter says that she sees an opportunity to make sure that within the next six months or so, she could come back to the family, bringing an 18-year-old and 5-year-old son with her," Mr Polzer said.
"The biological tests show clearly that this letter, a normal letter with a stamp, was without doubt created by one Josef Fritzl," he added.
"You can be sure that this man left nothing undone in order to deceive the family, his wife, the relatives, the children and everybody around him."You can be sure that this man left nothing undone in order to deceive the family, his wife, the relatives, the children and everybody around him.
"He had no scruples to use every possible means to deceive the public and cover up his crime," he added."He had no scruples to use every possible means to deceive the public and cover up his crime," he added.
KEY FACTS IN CASE Elisabeth reappeared at home after disappearing 24 years agoSix children she says are hers have been found and placed in careOne of the children, aged 19, is seriously ill in hospital Elisabeth's father Josef Fritzl, 73, has been arrested on suspicion of incest and abductionPolice say Mr Fritzl confesses to imprisoning Elisabeth and fathering her seven children class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7371959.stm">Profile: Josef Fritzl class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7373462.stm">Dungeon case stuns media class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7373172.stm">Inside the cellar dungeon But Mr Polzer would neither confirm nor deny Austrian media reports that Mr Fritzl had prior criminal convictions or run-ins with the law.
The director of a local psychiatric hospital, Berthold Kepplinger, said Elisabeth and most of her children had been reunited there and were being cared for by a team of psychotherapists, a neurologist, speech therapists and physiotherapists. Reunion
Three of the children lived with the grandparents, but the other three had never seen daylight until they were freed on Sunday. The director of the psychiatric clinic at a local hospital, Berthold Kepplinger, meanwhile described how Elisabeth, now 42, had been reunited with five of her six surviving children and mother there on Sunday morning.
One of the three who lived underground, 19-year-old Kerstin, whose admission to hospital with a serious illness sparked police interest in the family's whereabouts, remains critically ill. It was astonishing how easily it happened - how the mother and grandmother came together Berthold Kepplinger
Mr Kepplinger said the two sets of children were tentatively beginning to get to know one another, although two of the three children who had spent all their lives underground had a way of communicating that was "anything but normal". "It was astonishing how easily it happened - how the mother and grandmother came together," he told the news conference.
He said it was very important that they were "cut off from further external traumatisation", and said their carers did "not want to proceed too quickly". Mr Kepplinger said the family members had interacted very naturally, even though the three children who had been adopted or fostered by their grandparents had never met their siblings in the windowless cellar.
"We are going very slowly," he said. "The children are quite well, they are under investigation, there is a professional team consisting of psychiatrists, neurologists, psychotherapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, a whole team is working on this," he said.
"One important thing is not to over treat them."
Two of the three children who had spent all their lives underground had a way of communicating that was "anything but normal", he said.
"They can read and write in a somewhat reduced form," he added.