Babe's Eye View article

History has shown the likes of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and more recently, Saddam Hussein who ordered the murder of millions of innocent men, women and children. But of all the horror stories I have heard of, there is nothing more repulsive, more hideous and more stomach-turning than what this Austrian Josef Fritzl did to his daughter Elisabeth—locking her up for 24 years in a secret basement, sexually abusing her and fathering seven children by her, burning one of the babies that died after birth.

Hitler and Saddam Hussein are megalomaniacs, admittedly insane to a great extent—but this appalling crime goes beyond all reason and sanity. Like many others, I had a sleepless night after reading that story. My mind was reeling with disgust, anger and disbelief. Being a father myself, one cannot imagine how someone could have the stomach for this kind of monstrosity against his own flesh and blood—keeping her trapped like an animal, abusing her over and over again. The thought simply makes one's stomach churn.

The whole world was shocked. Most especially since not too many miles away from Amstetten in Austria was the discovery of a similar incident two years ago about Natascha Kampusch who was kidnapped when she was 10 and imprisoned for eight years before she escaped from her captor. But what is also terrible is that no one noticed or suspected anything unusual about Fritzl—who pretended he had a happy marriage and was even honored for 50 years of married life, having six other children from his wife. But underneath that disgustingly sociable and friendly creature was hidden a horrible, twisted beast.

Authorities said the basement had a concealed network of tiny, soundproofed windowless rooms. A concrete door separated the "prison" from the rest of the house, electronically locked with a code known only to Fritzl. Just imagine how Elisabeth must have screamed for help every time she was sexually abused—only to realize that no one could hear her cries for mercy. Austrian law being what it is, Fritzl will most likely get 15 years for rape—less than the number of years he subjected his daughter and their children through a hellish experience.

It was the main topic of conversation in the golf course where many of my golf mates, themselves fathers, agreed that Fritzl is probably the most revolting man they have heard of. Everyone was in full agreement that this man should be tortured and made to experience hell on this earth—before he is burned alive.

There should be a special place in hell for people like this evil creature because this is definitely the worst of all crimes. It was not just the incest rape or the incarceration—it was the most horrific kind of betrayal from a man who was supposed to be a child's protector. It is murder—for he killed his daughter's innocence, subjecting her to a thousand deaths every time he raped and assaulted her.

Many are horrified at the evil that men can do, but none as sickening as this. We hear about this religious sect in the United States forcing teenaged girls to marry 50-year-old men or their own relatives. Then there's this Frenchwoman beaten and raped by her father for 28 years from the time she was eight, forced to bear him six children, burned with acid every time she tried to escape—her stepmother watching her ordeal.

Let's not kid ourselves—in the Philippines, there are many cases of incest rape. Like for instance, in families where the wife is an OFW and the fathers force their own daughters to be "substitute wives." One cannot imagine the shame, the pain and trauma these girls have to put up with.

We're fortunate there are good people in this country like Gina Lopez and her Bantay Bata Foundation who dedicate time and resources to help abused children not only through emotional, educational and physical support but most of all, by giving them a renewed reason for hope in this world. Of course, there is also the Caritas Foundation which we have been supportive of all these years, taking care of abused and neglected children.

It doesn't take a psychiatry expert to know that this woman in Austria will never be the same again. She will never be able to completely recover from those 24 years of traumatic experience. She will probably relive this awful episode over and over again.

A couple of years ago, a friend asked me to help his cousin who was repeatedly abused by her stepfather. I was so moved by his story I did everything I could to help his cousin relocate abroad. A year later, I got a note from this poor woman, and I will never forget the words she wrote: "I cannot thank you enough for helping me, but the pain remains. Every time I look out the window, I would see raindrops. But actually, it's the tears in my eyes."

Bringing a child into this world is a great gift and blessing from God. No one has a right to bring anyone into this world if you cannot take care of them and plan for their future. Because along with this gift comes the great responsibility to nurture and protect that child. For a parent not to be able to take care of his child is, for me, already a sin in itself. But to subject her to abuse and degradation—like what happened to this Austrian woman—is simply unthinkable, and the most gruesome kind of evil that any man can do.