Austrian police admit failure to spot Fritzl's lies
Austrian police admit they should have seen through Josef Fritzl's lies
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Wednesday, 07, May 2008 10:09
Austrian police have admitted that they should have seen through Josef Fritzl's lies that his daughter Elisabeth had run away to join a religious cult.
Fritzl, 73, has admitted to raping his daughter, now 42, fathering seven children with her and locking her in a cellar below his home for 24 years.
He had previously claimed she ran away to join the cult.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper quotes Austrian justice minister Maria Berger as admitting there were shortcomings in the police's investigations into Fritzl's claims.
"I consider that there was a certain credulity [on the part of the authorities], particularly concerning the story of the sect by which the suspect explained the disappearance of his daughter," Ms Berger said.
"Today it would certainly be examined more closely."
Fritzl will face questioning from regional prosecutor Christiane Burkheiser for the first time today.
Elisabeth's lawyer Christoph Herbst announced yesterday that she may sue her father for compensation following her abuse.
"There is the possibility of claiming compensation for imprisonment and the damage that has been incurred by it," Mr Herbst told the Reuters news agency.