Re: The family in the cellar

In article <68utgcF2u7tp5U1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, seanohara@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Sean O'Hara) wrote:

> The man was molesting their daughter for seven years while she 
> lived openly with them -- but the wife saw nothing, heard 
> nothing, knew nothing.
> 

Although that worked against the detection.  The daughter had run away
from home a couple of times before she was abducted, and when she was
abducted, a note was produced apparently from the daughter saying she'd
joined a cult.  Knowing the previous history, the mother could easily
believe the daughter was safely away from trouble.



> The man built a dungeon under the house -- but the wife saw 
> nothing, heard nothing, knew nothing.
> 

He build a fallout shelter with a government grant.  One wonders how
many other Austrians at that time build fallout shelters with said
grants and didn't abduct their own daughters.


> The man imprisoned the daughter and three children there for 
> twenty-four years -- but the wife saw nothing, heard nothing, 
> knew nothing.
> 
> The man disappeared into the basement for hours on end with no 
> explanation -- but the wife saw nothing, heard nothing, knew 
> nothing, and never had reason to visit the basement of her own 
> house.
> 

I've never been married myself, but in popular culture at least there
is the tradition of the husband (and also the wife) having their secret
place from which the spouse is excluded.  Don't know how often this
happens in real life.



> The man disposed of at least one dead baby -- but the wife saw 
> nothing, heard nothing, knew nothing.
> 

Although the incinerator appears to have been in the basement, from
which the wife was excluded.


> The man brought three more of the children upstairs to be raised 
> by his wife -- she certainly must've seen something here, but 
> apparently didn't find it the least bit suspicious that there 
> were three kids in the house who resembled her husband but she 
> didn't give birth to.
> 

Well, she knew they were her daughter's, so a family resemblance might
be expected.




> The man bought food to feed a family twice the size of the one 
> living upstairs -- but the wife saw nothing, heard nothing, knew 
> nothing.


Again, if he took the supplies straight to the basement, why should she
even notice?