Colombia rocked by 'Fritzl case'
A Colombian man has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter from a young age and fathering eight children with her.
Originally published by www.itn.com, March 29, 2009
"I adopted her. We agreed to have a romantic relationship because we really loved each other. But she was not my own child" - Arcebio Alvarez
A Colombian man has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter from a young age and fathering eight children with her.
Arcebio Alvarez, 58, told a judge he was innocent, saying his accuser was not his biological daughter.
Alvarez was held in custody while the children, three boys and five girls, were put under state protection. He was transported to jail under military guard to keep angry crowds at bay.
The 35-year-old woman, who claims to be his biological daughter, told police he had abused her since she was under the age of ten.
However, Alvarez said before a judge: "I adopted her. We agreed to have a romantic relationship because we really loved each other. But she was not my own child."
The woman's mother died when she was five, leaving her under the care of Alvarez, who has been branded "the monster of Mariquita" by the local press. The eight children are between the ages of one and 19.
Elvira Forero, head of Colombia's child welfare agency, called the case "an intolerable crime."
The story recalls that of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man sentenced earlier this month to life in a secure mental unit for confining and raping his daughter for 24 years, fathering seven children with her and causing the death of his infant son.
© Copyright 2009 Independent Television News Limited
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