Thursday, March 19, 2009

Confessions of a Lunatic

One day, an 18-year old girl named Elisabeth Fritzl lost her right to live a normal life, forever. Lured down into the basement by her father, under the pretense of needing help to carry a few things, she was locked into the small room. It would be 24 years later before she would see the outside world in person again.

During those excruciatingly long 24 years, she was raped continuously by the very man who fathered her. She had 7 children by him.

A few months ago, with a rare stroke of luck, she was finally able to tell her story. Yesterday, the man who had imprisoned and tortured her all those years pleaded guilty to all charges, after initially denying some of them.

The reason for his change of heart? According to his lawyer:

He changed his mind after seeing his daughter testify in court. He saw her and finally saw how she really felt about those 24 years. And so, he decided to plead guilty.

Elisabeth and her children now live in a mental health institution.

I'm not going to question how it was that during those 24 years he never saw or knew how she felt. I'm not even going to question how someone gets so depraved that he would go that far.

All I want to say is that Elisabeth and those children are finally out of their man-made hell. Yet, I somehow doubt that they will ever truly be free.

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