Friday, May 16, 2008
The Sun
By STAFF REPORTER
THIS poster is a public show of thanks to the people of Amstetten in Austria created by the children who were locked in evil Fritzl's dungeon lair.
The youngsters wanted to thank locals for their public shows of support since they were rescued from the cellar along with their mother - Fritzl's daughter - Elisabeth last month.
The main picture shows 18-year-old Stefan's palm prints and a message saying that he misses his sister Kerstin, 19, and that he is happy about his new-found "freedom and family. I like the sun, the fresh air and nature", he says.
The poster has been displayed in the main square of the Austrian town where the family remained hidden for years underneath the Fritzl family home.
Lisa's message asks for "love, happiness, health" and "that everything turns out well again".
She says she misses the sister she has never known, Kerstin, as well as "school and friends."
Fritzl's daughter, Elisabeth writes that she hoped for a quick "recovery of my daughter Kerstin, the love of my children, protection of our family" and "people with a lot of heart and understanding".
Meanwhile, cops today used special x-ray equipment on Fritzl's driveway to search for any unfound tunnels.
Josef Fritzl's dungeon family speak of joy of being free
By Andy Rudd 14/05/2008
The hand painted posters from the Fritzl family
(What's this?) The dungeon family of evil pervert Josef Fritzl have spoken of their joy of being free and hopes of returning to a "normal life".
A colourful poster containing hand prints and personal messages from Elisabeth and five of her children were put on display in the Austrian town of Amstetten, saying: "We, the whole family, would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you for sympathy at our fate.
"Your compassion is helping us greatly to overcome these difficult times, and it shows us that there also are good and honest people here who really care for us.
"We hope that soon there will be a time where we can find our way back into a normal life."
Elisabeth, with whom depraved Fritzl had seven children, wrote that she hoped for a quick "recovery of my daughter Kerstin, the love of my children, protection of our family" and "people with a lot of heart and understanding".
Doctors said that Kerstin was now in a more stable condition despite still remaining in a coma.
Kerstin sparked the massive police investigation when Josef Fritzl took her to hospital to get emergency treatment on April 19.
Elisabeth's children, Lisa, Stefan and Felix also talked about their hopes for the future.
Lisa, 16, who was not locked in the dungeon, wishes for "love, happiness, health" and "that everything turns out well again".
She misses the sister she has never known, Kerstin, as well as "school and friends."
Stefan, 18, says he’s happy about his new-found freedom but misses his sister Kerstin. He likes “the sun, the fresh air and nature”.
Felix, 6, says he dreams of being driven in a car again and sledging. He had his first ride in a car when he was taken by police after he was freed two weeks ago. He says he wants to “run across a meadow” and play with other children.
Stefan writes: "I miss my sister. Am enjoying freedo m and my family. Like the sun, fresh air and nature."
Alex says: "I wish for freedom, power and strength, and the sun. I miss fire brigade, school and my sister Kerstin."
Grandma writes: "I wish to live with my children in peace with the help of God. I miss my kind friends and my freedom."
Elisabeth wishes: "My daughter Kerstin's recovery, my children's love, protection for my family, people with warm hearts and understanding."
Lisa wishes: "Health, that everything goes well, love, happiness." Misses: "Kerstin, school, friends, fresh air, Class 1C."
Felix says he dreams of "sleigh rides, driving in a car, playing ball, swimming. Playing with other children, friendship, running in the meadows."
Monika wishes: "That Kerstin gets better, lots of love, that everything is soon past." Misses: "Fire brigade, music school, friends, school, Kerstin."
Clinic director Berthold Kepplinger explained that although the family were progressing it would still be a long time before they would be allowed out of the clinic.
He said: “What is now clear is that the family will need to remain here for several more months.
"In order to give them a good start in their new life they all need to be very carefully protected and very slowly reintroduced to the real world, and to each other.
"In particular Elisabeth and her two children from the cellar need to have further therapy to help them adjust to the light after years in semidarkness.
"They also needed treatment to help them cope with all the extra space that they now had to move about in.
"This will be achieved with further physiotherapy and Ergotherapy.
"If the treatment is to work properly then it is especially important that we get respect their privacy, the need to this cannot be underestimated.
"We are doing everything we can to protect the family from external stress and stop the risk of the secondary trauma."
He added that family reunion had "gone extremely well" and that the family were all settled into a new daily routine.
The children are playing and enjoying activities like painting. They had also been given a computer which most of the time they were using to play games on.
Dr Kepplinger said: "We are making every effort to give them what they need as a group or as individuals, and we are carefully monitoring progress.
"Eventually we hope to merge all the individual therapies so they work together."
The canvas bearing the Fritzl's hand-prints and a heart for Kerstin, who is critically ill, was hung in the centre of Amstetten
The dreams of the freed Fritzl children
Elisabeth, age 42, wrote: "I wish for my daughter Kerstin to recover. I love that child. I ask for my children's love, protection of the family, people with warm hearts and understanding"
Stefan, age 18 wrote: "I miss my sister. [I] am enjoying freedom and my family. Like the sun, fresh air and nature."
Alexander, age 12 wrote: "I wish for freedom, power and strength, and the sun. I miss Fire Brigade [an Austrian youth group], school and my sister Kerstin."
Lisa, age 16 wrote: "Wishes: health, that everything goes well, love, happiness. Misses Kerstin, school, friends, fresh air, Class 1C."
Monika, age 14 wrote: "Wishes: that Kerstin gets better, lots of love, that everything is soon past. Misses: fire-brigade, music school, friends, school, Kerstin.
Felix, age 5 wrote: "(Misses:) Sleigh rides, driving in a car, playing ball, swimming. Wishes: Playing with other children, friendship, running in meadows."
