The astonishing crimes of Josef Fritzel have resulted in an incredible feeling of disbelief in Austria and around the world. Now as the dust is settling, the question needs to turn to how could something so horrific be allowed to happen? How was a man able to imprison his daughter in a cellar for 24 years, raping her and fathering her seven children? In answering this question, the state of the community where this crime took place must be given the same attention as the competence of the authorities.
Any criticisms of the break down in the community of the small Austrian town of Amstetten, can very easily be applied to any number of communities in this country. We’ve all heard stories from our elders of how, back in their day they would never lock their door, such was the comfort they felt living in their neighborhood. Sure, there may be a degree of nostalgia in this, but the wider point concerning community values over the past few decades is very apt. How much do you know about your neighbors? If you’re anything like me then the answer is not a lot. We are so consumed by our work and our own lives that we don’t spend the time taking part in the communities that we are all a part of. So, should you really be surprised if – like the citizens of Amstetten – you wake up one day to find your quiet street has become the scene of a police and media scrum investigating a similarly horrific crime?
1 comment:
It is really shocking to think this kind of abuse could have gone on for so long without anyone (like the mother?) even noticing.
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