Fritzl admits rape, denies murder

Josef Fritzl, accused of imprisoning his daughter and fathering her children, has pleaded guilty to rape and incest but not guilty to murder.

The Austrian is accused of the murder by neglect of one of his daughter's children. He also denied enslavement.

TV pictures showed the 73-year-old enter the courtroom with his face concealed by a blue file. He refused to answer journalists' questions.

The trial, in the city of St Poelten, is attracting intense media interest.

Mr Fritzl is alleged in 1984 to have lured his daughter into a cellar with windowless soundproofed chambers beneath their house and then raped her repeatedly.

The daughter and three of her seven children were kept captive in the cellar until the case came to light in April last year when one of the children became seriously ill and was taken to hospital.

Mr Fritzl faces up to 20 years in jail for enslavement and up to 15 years for some of the other charges.

Source: BBC NEWS