Didn't Josef Fritzl confess? I am confused by his lawyer's statement...?

Question

Fritzl's lawyer now says that there is little evidence that there was any rape or kidnapping involved here, despite DNA evidence. He claims Josef has a good soul and is not responsible for his actions. I don't understand the intricacies of law, so can anyone tell me if Fritzl can successfully make such a case? Is there a precedent?

Reference:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/wo...

Answer 1

If you are able to convince a court that you are not legally responsible for your actions, you will be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Very generally, the insanity plea is a legal excuse to a crime if you can prove that the defendant had a mental disease that was of such intensity as to render him incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the violent act or of knowing that it is wrong. This is an extremely tall order to prove and this beast's very culpable actions clearly show that he knew precisely what he was doing was wrong.

No sane prosecutor should try to plea bargain this case. Fritzl must be released into the general prison population with express instructions to the other inmates to make this beast suffer prolongedly by whatever means necessary. No questions asked.

Trust me, if this animal dies in prison, not a single Austrian will question why it happened.

Answer 2

Well..

1. that lawyers a ******** for defending him, Ino that some lawyers dont get a choice, but if i was the lawyer i would rather cut my own leg of than defend him.

2. It doesnt matter how much they say that there not his kids, there doing the DNA tests right now and once they show that they are by blood his kids then his lies going to come to an end.

3 It doesnt matter what he says anymore, he lost all trust from anyone when he touched his daughter, not to mention locking her up, what a f'n ********.

I have herd he will only get 15-20 years in jail, i swear all countrys need to take a good hard long look at there so called justice system's. I hope when he die's they just chuck his body in a incinorator. hes a sicko!!

Answer 3

All the prosecutor has to do is bring in all of the children he created with this woman! Case closed. I wish I was the prosecutor, because no matter what happens you can't lose this case!

Answer 4

He's just 'lawyering up' here - doesn't have a chance in h**l other than he should just wish for a cell in solitary confinement, because he will now be someone else's girlfriend in jail.   Doesn't matter if he says it was 'consenual' because the abuse started when Elisabeth was 11 - any s*x  of an adult with a child that age is rape regardless of circumstances.

Answer 5

I think that what Josef Fritzl's lawyer is going to contend is that the s*x between Josef and Elisabeth was consensual and that he did not physically abuse her.  He could also claim that he is mentally ill and not responsible for his actions due to some trauma he underwent in life that we don't know about yet.

Will these defenses work?

Most definitely not.  The argument that the s*x was consensual is obviously contradicted by the fact that she and her children were locked up.  If it was consensual, why did he have to keep her prisoner?  And obviously, the man was not legally insane.  However, everyone is entitled to a defense and he will get one.  It is his lawyer's job to use every angle he can in his defense.  He probably is not crazy about defending this man, but he has a job to do.  It is the law that he be provided an attorney.

Personally, I think the light bulbs should be taken out of that basement and he should be shut up in there for the rest of his life with a few visitors brought in every week from the Austrian prisons to visit him.