I'm sure a lot of people here have been following the events in Austria involving the family imprisoned in the cellar and the incestuous relationship forced on Elisabeth Fritzl by her father. Three children plus Elisabeth were kept in the cellar and three others kept upstairs. Social services cleared Fritzl to care for the three upstairs children after being told by him that their mother couldn't look after them. Clearly they didn't know that Fritzl himself was the father, the mother his own daughter. They also didn't know he had a criminal record, for arson and sexual assault, because police had disposed of or lost the files. It's a horrifying story. Could it happen here? Probably; but Natascha Kampusch who was also imprisoned in a previous case in Austra told Newsnight last night that the country's Nazi past was partly responsible because women were subjugated and seen primarily as child raisers. What interests me is what will happen to these children now -brought up in a cellar. The oldest, Kerstin is 19 and has only ever known a cellar. She had never seen daylight until taken to hospital just before the case was discovered. How on earth can professionals work with these children and try to improve their lives. Will they ever be fully functioning members of society or will they always be beset by acute mental and physical health problems? What techniques should be used? How would such a situation be handled by UK social workers, psychotherapists etc? One note of optimism; Natasha Kampusch, who was imprisoned for 8 years, appeared in her interview very lucid, and remarkably self assured. But the Fritzl children have suffered greater deprivation...

It must be very difficult for those children to come to terms with what they have been subjected to but just as difficult for them to be informed that it is wrong as you say they are only used to the life they have had and no matter how appauling to us was the norm for them is you get my meaning.

I remember as a teenage being in a residential unit when a family gtoup of two boys and a girl were accommodated. They had been locked in the attic of a house in the north east unti lthe eldest boy escaped. Their parents if i remember were professionals and therefore went unnoticed. They lived in filthy conditions. Funnily enough they were well spoken and were very resilient, close to each other and on the surfcae functioned better than some of us. It will be interesting to see how these children cope with the world's spotlight on them?  

Hi Lins, your response makes me hopeful that a good outcome is a realistic hope in the Austria case. For how long were the children you mentioned incarcerated? I read today that the Fritzl children were astonished and awed when they saw the moon for the first time in their lives the other night and hollered and whooped during the short ride to hospital in a police car, while hiding their faces fearing head-on collisions.

Apparently the children can speak ,but with difficulty, and to each other they use grunts and coo's to communicate. I was sickened to see Austria is now embaring on a campaign to positively promote itself to tourists in light of this case (and others) LETS HOPE THEY PUT EQUAL MONEY AND ENERGY INTO PROMOTING WOMEN AND CHILDRENS RIGHTS.

Hi Anne_m. Where did you read about the tourism campaign? I wouldn't say I was sickened by the news of a campaign... I suppose they have to do something to counter the terrible damage this case and that of Natascha Kampushch's have on the reputation of the country. After all, before these horrendous cases Austria was not favourably looked upon in the UK in the way for example that the Scandanivian countries are. Kampushch sort of put her finger on the image problem when she said in the same sentence that these cases could happen anywhere but Austria's Nazi past has helped make it possible in terms of the treatment of women, as you allude to.

I am not sure but if I remember correctly they had been there since they were quite young being fed by the mother then locked in again they slept on dirty blanket. They were different ages as well. the oldest boy was 15 when her came to the unit and his sister must have been about 13 with another brother about 10 you could tell that the girl was in charge over the other two with them turning to her for support. It was very sad. I remember feeling so hurt for her but so proud of all of them. 

Lionel...it was headlined on yahoo news the other day and has been referenced in just about every report Ive seen on the situation.

Details coming out about the therapy now. Prof Max Friedrich who advised on the Kampusch case forecasts 8 years of therapy, perhaps longer for for Stefan and Kirstin who were in the cellar for 18 years. The families supervising doctor Bernhard Kepplinger has said 'each child will need individual therapy but we mustn't over do it'. A special dark chamber has been set up for the kids to enter if sunlight and noise becomes overwhelming to them. Felix (5) and Stefan have never been apart from their mother so become very alarmed if separated however briefly. Felix's chances are hopeful being much younger and he is said to be curious about the outside world rather than feeling threatened. Of course their idea of normal life was as prisoners... so they have no concept of being prisoners. Amazingly the upstairs children are socially outgoing and doing well at school... they all play the trumpet rather well apparently. How they are coming to terms with the revelation of the sheer horror of the truth about their dad is anyone's guess...