Wife of ‘German Fritzl’ refuses to give evidence at his trial
By ANIThursday, February 24, 2011
LONDON - The wife of a man, who fathered eight kids with his stepdaughter, has refused to testify at his trial.
Detlef S, dubbed the German Josef Fritzl, allegedly abused his stepdaughter, his natural daughter and his stepson for over 20 years, reports Sky News.
The 48-year-old is also accused of selling the two girls to friends for sex, one of them when she was just 12 years old.
Detlef S, an unemployed lorry driver from Fluterschen, near Bonn, has denied all the charges although he has admitted he is the father of the children.
In total he is charged with 350 counts of sexual assault and grievous sexual assault of minors.
His 52-year-old wife, named only as Erika S due to German privacy laws, had been due to give evidence before the Koblenz provincial court.
But when asked by the judge Winfried Hetger if she would like to give evidence, she replied “No”.
According to the German newspaper Bild, she clasped her hands, looked nervous and shook as she walked into the courtroom.
She also reportedly glanced at her husband and shrugged her shoulders.
Prosecutors said before the trial that DNA samples confirmed Detlef S had fathered seven children. An eighth child died before samples could be taken. (ANI)
