Josef Fritzl: the secrets of the cellar
How much are we entitled to know about what went on in that cellar?
Much of Fritzl's trial this week is being held without public or press
allowed in -- to protect the privacy of the children involved in the
case.
Even so, before the trial started, there was plenty of coverage of the
allegations against him -- that over a period of 24 years, he kept his
daughter imprisoned in a cellar of his home, repeatedly raped her, and
fathered seven children with her, one of whom he allowed to die shortly
after birth, and three of whom were held prisoner underground with their
mother.
Compare the way Austria is handling the case with the way the British
courts handled a similar case late last year, when a man was convicted
of repeatedly raping two daughters and fathering seven children with
them. In that case, neither his identity, nor that of his daughters,
could be published -- and there was far less coverage of the case.
Where does the balance lie? Does justice always need to be seen to be
done, or do the interests of those who are victims of abuse always take
priority? You can hear me discussing the issues here, with the Austrian
journalist Florian Klenk and the British lawyer Pia Sarma.
(broadcast on Newshour, BBC World Service, 17 March 2009)
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~12~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Indeed, Mr Lustig, why bother with a trial at all, when the media have already pronounced him guilty ?
Complain about this comment
Robin,
"How much are we entitled to know about what went on in that cellar? " Entitled????
Answer - nothing at all (to protect the victims)
However, if there were no living victims? Then I suggest that the limit of 'entitlement' is less information that might possibly risk encouraging a copycat.
"Does justice always need to be seen to be done?" Yes but only if it will discourage copycats - in the way of pour encourager les autres' (Voltaire). Did public execution at Tyburn really deter sheep stealing?
Of course we want to know that justice has been fairly and honestly dispensed without any form of corruption and there is the problem.
Complain about this comment
Robin:
How much are we entitled to know about what went on in that cellar?
I think not all, but enough since it was on the airwaves for many months....
~Dennis Junior~
Complain about this comment
Robin,
We need to know the nature of the case. We need to know the accused has legal representation and has a voice.
We need to know the outcome and any recommendations from the judge.
We don't need to know the names or see photographs of the accused or victims.
Complain about this comment
We don't need to know anything, necessarily.
But as human beings we're fascinated by it, no matter how much we deny it.
Complain about this comment
lordBeddGelert; very early on in the case, after the DNA tests probably, it was made known by the police or lawyer that JF had admitted fathering the children hence no need for the 'allegedly' which is sometimes still used.
Complain about this comment
world tonight - robin asks
"what do i have in common {as a human}with this man"
answer
LIES
SHAME{PROJECTIONS}
POWER
ignorance
lack of sensitivity
CONFORMITY
ETC
abuse is a heavy world
BUT IN SHORT LIES LIES LIES
WHAT IS A LIE?
here is where the debate starts
good@gmx.co.uk
Complain about this comment
i give thanks to the moderator for some heavy posts will be needed to do justice to this subject - in [it's] wider context
here is an oblique question of a innocent child in note form
thus
i apologise in advance
i feel sick dealing with this
but
i see why a town would want to bulldoze the house
but should we leave the cellar as memorial to the unknown abuse 'soldier' victims of such abuse across time and world
many are never rescued
if we can and must remember
how?
gas chambers are momuments
why not allow the visiting of the cellar
one shrine that would be hard to ever abuse
the police man said it possessed him to be in the cellar
perhaps words are not needed
but a pilgrimage to this cellar
along with ground zero
and mecca
etc
onelove
my guts are wrenching for our culture
Complain about this comment
I FEEL SICK WRITTING THIS AND SHAKAKE A LITTLE IN EMPATHY AND PAIN BUT
does anyone remember the newsnight interview with the previous austrian cellar victim {KIDNAPPED NOT INCEST ADMITTEDLY} at the time of the discovery of this nightmare
she felt a need to come forward to help the woman
and spoke out
{{{may her 'god' blesssss}}}
she deserves listening to IN ALL THIS CIRCUS
she must have found it hard
I KNOW
BELIEVE ME
she spoke of the anthropology - the psychology of a western culture
as best she could
were we listening to her
late night slot on bbc 2
IT MUST BE POSSIBLE FOR ROBIN TO PUT IT UP ON THIS BLOGG
[[[WITH THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF SAID WOMAN - PLEASE]]]
Complain about this comment
I pray for his daughter and her children and hope that they may in the future be able to create some sort of stability.
I think this evil man should be locked in the same dungeon in which he created so much pain for the same period of 24 years in which his family were imprisoned.
God bless the family I pray for them
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS