Monday, March 16, 2009

FRITZL TO GO ON TRIAL IN AUSTRIA !

Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man accused of holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering seven children with her, is due to go on trial.
The 73-year-old faces charges of rape, incest, coercion, enslavement and deprivation of liberty.
He is also accused of murder in connection to the death of one of his daughter's children.
The case, seen as one of the biggest in recent Austrian history, is attracting intense media interest.
An estimated 200 journalists are in the town of St Poelten for the opening of the trial, although fewer than 100 will be allowed inside the courthouse.
A no-fly zone has been imposed above the courthouse to prevent news crews using helicopters to get aerial shots.
Mr Fritzl has been held in custody in St Poelten since his arrest nearly a year ago.

The boy, a twin, died soon after birth. Prosecutors say Mr Fritzl is guilty of murder through neglect.
He faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.
All evidence in the trial is due to be given behind closed doors, with no press or public present, out of concern for the privacy of the family.
The evidence includes hours of pre-recorded testimony given by the daughter at the centre of the case.
Edited details of the day's proceedings will then be released to the press each afternoon.
The trial is predicted to last just a week, with a verdict expected on Friday.
The case first came to light after one of the children fathered by Mr Fritzl and kept underground, became seriously ill and was taken to hospital.
BBC NEWS REPORT

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