Fritzl lets his guard down

Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man accused of enslaving and raping his own daughter, let his guard slip on the second day of his trial.

Fritzl was briefly seen full-face; he has tried to hide behind a blue file, and quickly buried his features again as the court sat. The trial is being held in camera to protect witnesses. They include his daughter Elisabeth, who has given taped evidence on her 24-year underground imprisonment. Neither she nor the children she bore Fritzl will appear in person. Fritzl has pleaded guilty to rape and incest, but denies murder and enslavement. A verdict is expected on Thursday. Tuesday’s Austrian papers held little sympathy for Fritzl. Many headlines reported his claims of an abused childhood, and said he was crying and trembling in court. Another denounced him as a coward to the end.

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