No early release for the monster

The Herald reports:

Austria’s most notorious criminal, Josef Fritzl, who imprisoned his daughter in a basement for 24 years and fathered several children with her, will soon undergo psychological tests to determine whether he is eligible for early release from jail.

Fritzl, 86, was jailed for life in 2008 for keeping his daughter in a soundproof dungeon underneath their family home in Amstetten and raping her thousands of times in a case that shocked the world.

His daughter and victim, Elisabeth, gave birth to seven of his children over the more than two decades in which she was held captive.

Fritzl’s crimes were only discovered when one of the children, Kerstin, slipped into a coma and was taken to hospital.

Medical staff found Fritzl’s story suspicious and alerted the police, who subsequently reopened the case file of Elisabeth, who had previously been reported missing.

Despite the life sentence, Fritzl could soon be eligible to apply for early release in 2024 if a psychological assessment deems that he is no longer a danger.

The thought that he could only serve 16 years in prison for 24 years of kidnapping and rape is repugnant. He should never be released.