Josef Fritzl could be released from prison tomorrow on his 90th birthday

He is currently serving a life sentence and suffers with dementia.

The man, who was given a life sentence for raping and holding his daughter captive, is suffering with dementia.

Fritzl fathered seven children by his daughter, Elizabeth, who he held captive in dungeon, under his home in Amstetten, Austria, as a sex slave for 24 years.

In 2008 these heinous crimes came to light, and he was convicted a year later.

He has been serving a life sentence in a prison unit for ‘mentally abnormal’ inmates since his conviction a year later.

Now, ahead of his 90th birthday, Fritzl’s lawyer, Astrid Wagner, is demanding that he is released.

Fritzl won't be completely free, as according to Blick, upon release he will be transferred to a dementia centre, according to Blick.

Reportedly, his dementia is getting worse at an ever-increasing rate.

"He needs special therapy. He wants to experience being released from prison," said Mr Wagner.

Additionally, for Fritzl to be released from prison, he must be transferred to a local court where an expert will assess his mental state.

In January 2024, a regional court ruled that Fritzl was no longer a threat to society, giving him the green light to be transferred from high-security to a regular jail.

This was seen as a path for his conditional release from prison.

Furthermore the 89-year-old believes that people will be ‘celebrating’ and lining up to shake his hand when he is free.

Speaking to The Mirror, Ms Wagner has previously said: "He believes that when he is released, he will come out to a big celebration with people cheering and music and wanting to shake his hand.

"This is obviously not the case. It is a fantasy. I don’t think he fully understands what the world really thinks."

Ms Wagner revealed that Fritzl wants to move back to his previous home, however added that 'he would need a carer and none of his friends or family want to know.’

Fritzl held his daughter Elisabeth captive in the basement of the family home from when she was 18.

She gave birth to seven of his children, three of the which lived with Elizabeth until they were freed in 2008.

Another three were fostered by Fritzl and his wife, after he claimed Elisabeth had given birth to them and then abandoned them to join a religious sect.

One child died shortly after birth, the remains of whom he burnt in the house furnace.

The family home was turned into a housing complex in 2017.