'Aussie Fritzl' Charged With Raping Daughter for 30 Years

Man accused of keeping daughter captive, fathering 4 children with her
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 17, 2009 6:17 AM CDT
'Aussie Fritzl' Charged With Raping Daughter for 30 Years
Security personnel wait on the steps of the Magistrates' Court in Melbourne.   (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

An Australian man has been charged with rape and incest after allegedly raping his daughter for more than 30 years and fathering four children with her, Reuters reports. The man was arrested after the victim contacted police and told them she had been kept a prisoner in their home in a country town east of Melbourne. All four children have birth defects and one died shortly after birth. The woman and her three surviving children are being held in a safe house.

"It's a terrible case. It brings to all of us I think the worst possible thoughts about families and what might occur there," said Victorian state premier John Brumby, whose government has been strongly criticized for failures in its child protection system. (More Melbourne stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X