
Notorious incest offender Fritzl bids for early release
The regional court in the Austrian city of Krems confirmed Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, had submitted an early release request.
The lawyer had previously talked about the request on her podcast Plädoyer für Verbrecher (Plea for Criminals).
She argued Fritzl had spent more than 15 years in prison and that the legal requirements for such a move had therefore been met.
"I think he deserves this chance too," she said.
However, Wagner expects that it could still be some time before this happens.
In 1984, Fritzl locked his then 18-year-old daughter in the basement of his house. Over the next 24 years, he raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. One of them died soon after birth.
The wife, who lived on the first floor of the house with the rest of the family, was unaware of any of this, according to the authorities.
The case came to light in 2008 and made headlines around the world.
In March 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by omission, rape, deprivation of liberty, aggravated coercion, slavery and incest. Fritzl took on a new surname in prison.
An earlier request for early release failed last year. The court cited Fritzl's high level of criminal energy and lack of preparation for a life in freedom.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Josef Fritzl, a now 90-year-old man convicted of incest and holding his daughter captive for decades and sexually abusing her, has again requested early release from his life sentence.
The regional court in the Austrian city of Krems confirmed Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, had submitted an early release request.
The lawyer had previously talked about the request on her podcast Plädoyer für Verbrecher (Plea for Criminals).
She argued Fritzl had spent more than 15 years in prison and that the legal requirements for such a move had therefore been met.
"I think he deserves this chance too," she said.
However, Wagner expects that it could still be some time before this happens.
In 1984, Fritzl locked his then 18-year-old daughter in the basement of his house. Over the next 24 years, he raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. One of them died soon after birth.
The wife, who lived on the first floor of the house with the rest of the family, was unaware of any of this, according to the authorities.
The case came to light in 2008 and made headlines around the world.
In March 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by omission, rape, deprivation of liberty, aggravated coercion, slavery and incest. Fritzl took on a new surname in prison.
An earlier request for early release failed last year. The court cited Fritzl's high level of criminal energy and lack of preparation for a life in freedom.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Josef Fritzl, a now 90-year-old man convicted of incest and holding his daughter captive for decades and sexually abusing her, has again requested early release from his life sentence.
The regional court in the Austrian city of Krems confirmed Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, had submitted an early release request.
The lawyer had previously talked about the request on her podcast Plädoyer für Verbrecher (Plea for Criminals).
She argued Fritzl had spent more than 15 years in prison and that the legal requirements for such a move had therefore been met.
"I think he deserves this chance too," she said.
However, Wagner expects that it could still be some time before this happens.
In 1984, Fritzl locked his then 18-year-old daughter in the basement of his house. Over the next 24 years, he raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. One of them died soon after birth.
The wife, who lived on the first floor of the house with the rest of the family, was unaware of any of this, according to the authorities.
The case came to light in 2008 and made headlines around the world.
In March 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by omission, rape, deprivation of liberty, aggravated coercion, slavery and incest. Fritzl took on a new surname in prison.
An earlier request for early release failed last year. The court cited Fritzl's high level of criminal energy and lack of preparation for a life in freedom.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Josef Fritzl, a now 90-year-old man convicted of incest and holding his daughter captive for decades and sexually abusing her, has again requested early release from his life sentence.
The regional court in the Austrian city of Krems confirmed Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, had submitted an early release request.
The lawyer had previously talked about the request on her podcast Plädoyer für Verbrecher (Plea for Criminals).
She argued Fritzl had spent more than 15 years in prison and that the legal requirements for such a move had therefore been met.
"I think he deserves this chance too," she said.
However, Wagner expects that it could still be some time before this happens.
In 1984, Fritzl locked his then 18-year-old daughter in the basement of his house. Over the next 24 years, he raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her. One of them died soon after birth.
The wife, who lived on the first floor of the house with the rest of the family, was unaware of any of this, according to the authorities.
The case came to light in 2008 and made headlines around the world.
In March 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by omission, rape, deprivation of liberty, aggravated coercion, slavery and incest. Fritzl took on a new surname in prison.
An earlier request for early release failed last year. The court cited Fritzl's high level of criminal energy and lack of preparation for a life in freedom.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found. She had travelled to St Kilda the previous day in a bid to earn money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend. The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remained committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years had passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. "It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found. She had travelled to St Kilda the previous day in a bid to earn money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend. The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remained committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years had passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. "It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. 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The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." 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Kamimura also is an actor who appeared in several TV dramas including the boys' love series Our Youth and the popular drama Ossan's Love Returns. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura has been found guilty of a charge of indecent assault on a female interpreter in a Hong Kong court before some emotional fans. Kamimura, a former member of a Japanese boy group named ONE N' ONLY, was arrested in the southern Chinese city in March. In the same month, his contract was terminated due to a serious compliance violation. In April, he pleaded not guilty. He allegedly touched the interpreter's thigh repeatedly during a celebratory dinner at a restaurant. During the trial in July, the interpreter testified through a live video link that Kamimura had invited her to a bathroom elsewhere. After she dismissed the request and told him she had a boyfriend, Kamimura continued to touch her thigh, she said. The defence argued the interpreter exaggerated her claims and the alleged bathroom invitation might not have been based on improper motives. Judge Peter Yu handed down the conviction on Wednesday, saying Kamimura touched the interpreter in a caressing nature that implicitly carried a sexual undertone and had indecent intent. After the verdict was announced, a few of Kamimura's fans wept in the courtroom. But Kamimura looked relieved when the judge issued a fine of $HK15,000 ($A2900) and no prison term. The maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years of imprisonment. The singer's supporters, including some from Japan and mainland China, formed long lines inside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom before the hearing. Others from mainland China who attended said they were not fans but wanted to learn more about the case. Kamimura also is an actor who appeared in several TV dramas including the boys' love series Our Youth and the popular drama Ossan's Love Returns. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura has been found guilty of a charge of indecent assault on a female interpreter in a Hong Kong court before some emotional fans. Kamimura, a former member of a Japanese boy group named ONE N' ONLY, was arrested in the southern Chinese city in March. In the same month, his contract was terminated due to a serious compliance violation. In April, he pleaded not guilty. He allegedly touched the interpreter's thigh repeatedly during a celebratory dinner at a restaurant. During the trial in July, the interpreter testified through a live video link that Kamimura had invited her to a bathroom elsewhere. After she dismissed the request and told him she had a boyfriend, Kamimura continued to touch her thigh, she said. The defence argued the interpreter exaggerated her claims and the alleged bathroom invitation might not have been based on improper motives. Judge Peter Yu handed down the conviction on Wednesday, saying Kamimura touched the interpreter in a caressing nature that implicitly carried a sexual undertone and had indecent intent. After the verdict was announced, a few of Kamimura's fans wept in the courtroom. But Kamimura looked relieved when the judge issued a fine of $HK15,000 ($A2900) and no prison term. The maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years of imprisonment. The singer's supporters, including some from Japan and mainland China, formed long lines inside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom before the hearing. Others from mainland China who attended said they were not fans but wanted to learn more about the case. Kamimura also is an actor who appeared in several TV dramas including the boys' love series Our Youth and the popular drama Ossan's Love Returns. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura has been found guilty of a charge of indecent assault on a female interpreter in a Hong Kong court before some emotional fans. Kamimura, a former member of a Japanese boy group named ONE N' ONLY, was arrested in the southern Chinese city in March. In the same month, his contract was terminated due to a serious compliance violation. In April, he pleaded not guilty. He allegedly touched the interpreter's thigh repeatedly during a celebratory dinner at a restaurant. During the trial in July, the interpreter testified through a live video link that Kamimura had invited her to a bathroom elsewhere. After she dismissed the request and told him she had a boyfriend, Kamimura continued to touch her thigh, she said. The defence argued the interpreter exaggerated her claims and the alleged bathroom invitation might not have been based on improper motives. Judge Peter Yu handed down the conviction on Wednesday, saying Kamimura touched the interpreter in a caressing nature that implicitly carried a sexual undertone and had indecent intent. After the verdict was announced, a few of Kamimura's fans wept in the courtroom. But Kamimura looked relieved when the judge issued a fine of $HK15,000 ($A2900) and no prison term. The maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years of imprisonment. The singer's supporters, including some from Japan and mainland China, formed long lines inside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom before the hearing. Others from mainland China who attended said they were not fans but wanted to learn more about the case. Kamimura also is an actor who appeared in several TV dramas including the boys' love series Our Youth and the popular drama Ossan's Love Returns. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028