"Expert on Evil"

Marchtrenk: Fritzl’s Expert Witness for the Horrific Husband

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11.09.2026 19:28

She is considered one of the most renowned forensic psychiatrists—now Adelheid Kastner is once again peering into the depths of the human psyche. She is analyzing the “horror husband” in the Marchtrenk abuse case, which ended with the gruesome death of a 39-year-old woman. 

Evil is practically an everyday occurrence for her; she knows the local courtrooms like the back of her hand. Adelheid Kastner has made headlines far beyond Austria’s borders with her psychiatric evaluations in high-profile cases. The 64-year-old determines whether the defendant was mentally incompetent or competent—and thus criminally responsible—at the time of the alleged offense

Decision on Commitment
Her expert opinion ensures that, in cases of particular danger due to a severe mental disorder—regardless of the prison sentence—the defendant is committed to an “institution for mentally abnormal offenders.” This applies even in cases of life imprisonment. Only when a panel of experts at the forensic-therapeutic center—as it is now called—determines that the inmate no longer poses a risk to others will the inmate be released.

Among her most famous cases are the “incest monster” Josef Fritzl and the “Ice Lady” Estibaliz C., who shot two of her partners, dismembered them with a chainsaw, and encased the bodies in concrete in the basement beneath her “Schleckeria.”

Expert Report in a Horrific Abuse Case
Adelheid Kastner has now been commissioned by the Wels Regional Court to peer into the psychological depths of the “horror father” from Marchtrenk (Upper Austria). Her expert opinion is eagerly awaited. The fate of the 51-year-old man, who is alleged to have tortured his wife (the presumption of innocence applies) to death, thus also lies in her hands...

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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