Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who imprisoned his daughter for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, has made a new bid for freedom. The 87-year-old's latest parole appeal was rejected by the Austrian High Court, but he continues to express a desire to experience freedom before he dies.
In letters from Stein Prison in Krems an der Donau, Fritzl shared his thoughts on King Charles III, whom he described as a 'pleasant person' after watching the coronation on television. He also expressed sympathy for climate activists from the Last Generation group, saying, 'I understand those climate campaigners who glue themselves on roads. Everything is going to the dogs these days. You've got to take action.'
The letters were sent to his lawyer, Astrid Wagner, who co-wrote a book with Fritzl titled 'The Abysses of Josef F.' Wagner described Fritzl as 'only human, not a beast' and claimed he lived a 'quadruple life'. Fritzl insists in the book that he is 'a decent person' and boasts about receiving 'hundreds of love letters'.
Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 after pleading guilty to rape, false imprisonment, manslaughter by negligence, and incest. His crimes came to light in 2008 when he took one of the children born to his daughter to hospital. He now uses a rollator trolley to walk and is held in a high-security prison for mentally ill criminals, despite claims he suffers from dementia.
