What Fresh Hell Is This? - The Diabolical Dad in Austria
April 29, 2008
The third “What Fresh Hell Is This” award goes to the diabolical dad in Austria who imprisoned his daughter and made her a victim of incest for nearly a quarter of a century. And that is turning out to be only the tip of the iceberg of crimes committed by the man now known as “Josef F” as DNA tests confirmed that he fathered 7 children with his daughter. If you need details, there’s enough news coverage out there to meet all of your needs. But suffice it to say that he wrecked massive and unbelievable devastation on his own family in ways that defy all comprehension.
I remember meeting a woman years ago, who was in a class I taught on genealogy. When we got to the point of filling out the pedigree or generation chart, she was stumped. After class, this woman came up to me and said:
My father is my grandfather and my mother is my aunt.
Even though I’m pretty knowledgeable about genealogy and family history, I confess I was stumped too. But as we talked further, it became painfully clear that my student was the daughter of an incest victim. I was stunned and saddened as my student shared the circumstances of her birth and how her father/grandfather ended up going to prison for his crime. I remembered hearing the pain in her voice as she related her family’s terrible story.
As I read the story of the awful situation in Austria, I wondered how my former student has fared over the years. Although she and her mother weren’t held captive in a basement cell like the family in Austria, I imagine that the stain of incest can be its own lifelong prison.
I’m saying a prayer for them all.
Comments
Got something to say?
-
Karen - Midlife Coach
