Current Affairs

Every Parents Nightmare

Natascha Kampusch & Wolfgang Priklopil

Eight years ago a young girl aged 10 from Austria, had an argument with her mother and stormed out of the family home. She was to be the victim of the most talked about kidnap in recent times. Bundled into a white minibus Natascha Kampusch would be held captive in a windowless room until she escaped aged 18, and her kidnapper Wolfgang Priklopil committing suicide means her ordeal will stay with her forever.
So just what was it like for this fantastically brave women, and for her parents? She gave a TV interview on 6th September, but I will not post that here, just my thoughts on the situation. You may not agree, but hopefully you will make some comments, so lets begin...

Natascha was taken from off the streets of Donaustadt on March 2nd 1998 after a row with her mother Brigitte Sirny, in which the latter had slapped her face. Bundled into a white minibus she had no idea what fate was to befall her. Witnesses reported that they saw the initials G or GF on the minibus's registration (which showed it coming from the Gaeserndorf region), indeed the owner of the minbus Wolfgang Priklopil was questioned by police, and his minibus checked but nothing was found. Priklopil's excuse of using the bus as transport for construction rubble, was accepted by police as he was working on his house at the time.
But what I want to know is why did none of these so called witnesses fail to do anything? If you or I saw a young girl been pushed into a van, we would either shout at the person, try to do something, or call the police and get the registration number. Yet as far as I can gather none of these witnesses did anything!

Her Prison

A Trapdoor leads to hidden stairs

It was widely reported in the media that she was held in a "dungeon" for the period of her confinement. This very small secret room was hidden 2.5 meters underground with only 5 m² of space -- 2.78 m length x 1.81 m width x 2.37 m height (approximately 9 ft long, 6 ft wide, with a 7 ft 9 in ceiling). The chamber was not an ordinary bedroom. It was closed, with two doors and a strong-room door made of steel. The area had no windows or daylight. Kampusch was not allowed to leave the tiny space in the first years of her imprisonment at night. In later years, the room wasremodeledd according to Natascha's specifications.

The small windowless dungeon/home

As you can see this is a very small living space for a young girl to be in, it's almostpitifull, and I for one cannot imagine what a ten year old felt being there. It would have driven me insane to the pont of killing myself at that age. This only goes to highlight just how strongercharacterr Natascha is.

According to Kampusch's official statement after her escape, she and Priklopil would get up early each morning to have breakfast together. Priklopil, who was her master, gave her books, educated her, and according to acolleaguee of his, she appeared happy. She said she was lucky to have escaped temptations of the outside world, like drugs bad company or alcohol. There was also a TV added later for her to watch, and also newspapers for her to read. Because of this it is said that Natascha may have developed Stockholm syndrome as a result, (this is denied by Natascha in her interview, although she does feel sympathy towards Priklopil's suicide and his parents).
This is the most fascinating thing of all, the fact that Priklopil was a teacher to Natascha is incredible, he held her captive, yet he wanted her to be educated. There has been no comment from Natascha regarding any sexual events that happened, and I hope there never will be as this will just worsen things for her. But in the interview she did come across has a very intelligent and articulate human being. Just what were Priklopil's motives then?

Escape

Natascha Leaves the Police station

Natascha resurfaced in August 2006. One day when she was cleaning and vacuuming the car in the garden, Priklopil went away because the vacuuming noise disturbed a telephone call. She left the vacuum cleaner running and ran away. She knocked on the window of a 71-year old neighbor known as Inge T., saying, "I am Natascha Kampusch." The neighbor informed the police. Later Kampusch was taken to the police department in the town of Deutsch Wagram.
She had previously been allowed on outings with Priklopil, and tried at least once to escape. Natascha was identified by a scar on her body, a passport in her name was found in the hidden room where she had been held, and also by DNA tests. The young woman was in good physical health, although she looked pale and shaken and weighed only 42 kg (approximately 93 lbs).
Sabine Freudenberger, the first police officer to speak to Natascha Kampusch after her ordeal, said that she was astonished by her "intelligence, and her vocabulary.
Priklopil, having found that the police were after him, killed himself by jumping in front of a suburban train near the North Station in Vienna. He had apparently also predicted his suicide by telling Natascha that "they would not catch him alive".

Natascha had tried numerous times to escape before, but just was unable too, as Priklopil had never left her side. This was the first time she was effectively alone, in the open, and she took the opportunity. I think had Priklopil had not left her alone, she would still be a captive of him. In effect Priklopil had come to develop Stockholm syndrome, he had come to trust Natascha to the point he believed she loved him and would never leave him. Tank god she was able to get to the neighbours. The only sad thing is Priklopil's suicide means that we will never know just why he did what he did.

A Letter to the World

Natascha as well as conducting a TV interview has written an open letter to the world. Here it is in it'sentiretyy, tissues at the ready;

Dear journalists, reporters, and people of the world,
"I realised quite early what a strong impression the news of my captivity has made on people, but I ask for understanding in satisfying the tremendous interest of the public. I realise how shocking and worrying the thoughts about my time in my prison must be, and that something like this could even be possible. I also realise there is a certain amount of curiosity and a desire to know more about the circumstances in which I lived.
"But at the same time I want to make it clear that I don't want to answer any details about intimate personal matters, and am prepared to take steps to ensure this interest does not get out of control.
"My personal space: my room was equipped with everything I would need and I made it my home, and it was not meant to be shown to the public.
"My daily life: this was carefully regulated, mostly it started with a joint breakfast - he was anyway not working most of the time. There was housework, reading, television, talking, cooking. That's all there was, year in and year out, and always tied in with the fear of being lonely.
"On my relationship: he was not my master. I was just as strong as him, but he would, symbolically speaking, sometimes be my support and sometimes be the person who kicked me. But with me he had picked the wrong person, and we both knew that.
"He did the kidnapping alone and prepared everything in advance. After that we furnished the room together, and it was not 1.6 m high. I also did not cry after I made my escape. It was no reason to cry.
"In my eyes, his death was not necessary. It would not be the end of the world if he had simply been given a prison sentence. He has been a big part of my life, and as a result I do feel I am in a sort of mourning for him. It is true that my youth was different to the youth of others, but in principle I don't feel I missed anything. On the contrary, there are certain things I avoided, having nothing to do with smoking or drinking to start off with, and I didn't meet the wrong friends.
"Message to the media: the one thing I would appeal for from the press is a stop to the insulting reports, the misinterpretations of reality, the commentaries that claim to know better and the lack of respect for me.
"At the moment I feel very well in the place where I'm staying, although perhaps I feel a little bit too much controlled. I am the one who has decided only to have telephone contact with my family. I'm also one who will decide when I want to have contact with journalists.
"On my escape: it happened as I was cleaning the car in the garden and saw that he had walked away during the vacuum cleaning. That was my chance, I dropped the vacuum cleaner and left it running.
"I also want to stress I never called him master although he demanded it. I think that's what he wanted, to be named like that, but he never meant it really.
"I have a lawyer that discusses the law with me. The youth lawyer Monica Pintertis has my trust together with Dr Friedrich and Dr Berger (both top Austrian youth psychiatrists) with whom I feel I can speak. The investigations team led by Mr Fruhstuck were very good to me, and I greet them warmly, although they were a bit too curious, but that is after all their job.
"Intimate questions: everybody wants to ask intimate questions, but these have nothing to do with anybody else. It may be that one day I speak to my therapist about it and maybe not. At the end of the day the private life is mine alone.
"Mr H [a friend of her kidnapper] should not feel guilty, it was Wolfgang's own decision to throw himself in front of a train. I also feel sympathy for the mother of Wolfgang. I can put myself in her position and I feel with her and have understanding. I and we both are thinking of him. I want to thank all the people who've taken part in my fate. But please let me have some peace in the immediate future. I hope that Dr Friedrich will be able to use this letter to make that clear. There are many people caring for me now. Please let me have time until I feel I can talk for myself.
"Natascha Kampusch"

To me this is devoid of emotion, it is just a statement containing facts, cold facts, there is none of the feeling, and emotion that you may expect. Is is going to take years for Natascha to recover from this, and I for one hope she gets through.

You may be interested to know that Natascha is not the first long term kidnapping, just take a look at this;

Steven Stayner, a boy from Merced, California, USA kidnapped at age 7 and held captive for a little over 7 years from late 1972 to early 1980. His ordeal was turned into the Made-for-TV movie "I know my First name is Steven" (one of the saddest films I have seen!).

Sano Fusako, a girl in Japan kidnapped at age 10 and held captive for 9 years from 1990 to 2000.

Sabine Dardenne, a girl in Belgium kidnapped at age 12 by Marc Dutroux and held captive for 2.5 months in 1996.

Tanya Kach, a girl in Pennsylvania held at the home of Thomas Hose from 1996 to 2006.

Elizabeth Smart, a girl in Salt Lake City, Utah, who was kidnapped at age 14 and held captive for 9 months from 2002 to 2003.

Carol Smith was held captive in a box under a bed, off and on, from 1977 until 1984.

Abduction of Lena Simakhina, 17 and Katya Martynova, 14 by factory worker Viktor Mokhov, 53. He kept girls as sex slaves in the underground cellar for 3.5 years from 2001 until 2004.

The Collector, a book/movie about a lonely young man (a butterfly collector) with nonexistent social skills, who one day decides to add to his 'collection' the girl he is attracted to in hopes that if he keeps her captive long enough, she will grow to love him.