Dungeon dad's trial delayed following daughter's poor health

London, June 24 : Austrian incest fiend Josef Fritzl's trial has been delayed after his daughter, Elisabeth's poor health prevented her from testifying against her evil dad.

Elisabeth, who was held as a captive by her evil dad for 24 years, had insisted on bringing forward her testimony to ensure Josef Fritzl's trial can take place as soon as possible, but doctors have ruled out the planned evidence saying she's not yet ready to come face-to-face with her captor.

She was due to testify against 73-year-old Fritzl next month - crucially, over the death of her baby Michael.

Sex slave daughter had earlier told cops the tot died a few days after he was born in Fritzl's secret cellar.

Elisabeth, 42, will give a statement about her horrific 24 years of rape and imprisonment at the hands of Josef Fritzl, 73, via video links.

She will be able to see her rapist father in his prison cell on a TV screen and he can make comments about her statements.

The video testimony will then be used at trial and means Elisabeth avoids the trauma of giving live evidence at court.

The questioning of Elisabeth and her mother Rosemarie has instead been rescheduled for the end of July - three weeks later than originally planned.

Officials hope to get Josef Fritzl in the dock before the start of next year.

And if Elisabeth never recovers enough to tell her full story, Fritzl could dodge a murder rap over Michael, the infant he killed while . If charged and found responsible for the baby's death, he would be locked up forever.

"She (Elisabeth) was determined to make sure he did not escape on a technicality or get freed on bail if the proceedings were to drag on too long. When she found out that the trial could not go ahead without her statement she insisted on it being done as soon as possible," the Mirror quoted a source, as saying.

Doctors will be on hand at all times to ensure she does not suffer a breakdown as she relives her years of torment for the record.

ANI