Court rejects early release of incestuous father Josef F.

The Krems Regional Court (Ref.: 90632/V1/2025) has rejected the application by Vienna-based criminal defense attorney Astrid Wagner for the early conditional release of her client Josef F. The incestuous father from Amstetten, who kept his daughter imprisoned in a basement dungeon for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, will therefore remain in normal detention at the Stein correctional facility.

The reason: the 90-year-old prisoner, who is suffering from progressive dementia, continues to develop delusions of aggression against his family members, and it cannot be ruled out that he poses a further danger. In addition, the social prognosis is poor. Josef F. has not been prepared for release while in prison, he has no adult representative and no accommodation where he could stay.

Defense attorney Wagner has appealed this decision of the court of first instance, as she reported on Monday in her latest podcast (“Plea for Criminals”). The reasoning behind the Krems Regional Court's rejection is diametrically opposed to the previous court experts, who no longer see Josef F. as a threat. The case is already before the Vienna Higher Regional Court (OLG) for a new decision.