Pole suspect 'echoes Fritzl case'

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Polish police begin investigations

A man has been arrested in eastern Poland on suspicion of keeping his daughter imprisoned for six years and raping her repeatedly, police say.

The 45-year-old man, whose identity was not revealed, was held in the town of Siedlce after his daughter, now aged 21, reported the alleged abuse.

Police say she gave birth to two children in 2005 and 2007, adding that "they were probably a result of rape".

Officials declined to provide any further details.

A Polish court ordered the detention of the suspect for three months pending the completion of the investigation.

The case recalls the Austrian Josef Fritzl, who is accused of keeping his daughter for 24 years in a cellar and sexually abusing her, during which time she is believed to have given birth to seven children.

"To some extent, this could be a similar situation to that in Austria," Polish police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski told TVN24 television.

The suspect's daughter also said that her father had forced her to give her children up for adoption.