Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life in a psychiatric hospital Thursday for locking up and raping his daughter over 24 years,fathering seven children with her,and causing the death of an infant son. Court officials in St Poelten,west of Vienna,said Fritzl would return to the regional jail for the time being pending transfer to an institution for mentally ill offenders where he could get therapy. They said his condition would be re-evaluated in 15 years and,in theory,if he were deemed cured,he could be released. But both Fritzl and his lawyer has said they expected he would have to spend the rest of his life incarcerated. Fritzl,73,had pleaded guilty to incest,rape,enslavement,coercion and murder,by neglect,in the death of a newborn boy underground. He initially denied the murder and slavery counts but reversed his plea after watching 11 hours of videotaped testimony from daughter Elisabeth screened in court Tuesday. Fritzl was found guilty of murder of the newborn,the most serious charge,because he failed to seek help despite knowing the boy was in danger of dying. The verdict by the three-man,five-woman jury was unanimous. I accept the verdict, Fritzl said. The prosecution also approved it,meaning the trial outcome cannot be appealed.
