Life after 8 years in captivity: The kidnapping and escape of Natascha Kampusch

8 years of imprisonment
March 2, 1998
Kidnapped while going to school
Who was her kidnapper?
A well turned into a prison
A carefully hidden entrance
Going out just to shower
Shopping, walking and a skiing week
The terrible tale
The renovation of a house
The escape
Přiklopil took his own life
A long recovery process
Hospitalization
A brief hug
An open letter
Request to respect her privacy
Writer
Her first interview
Her own broadcast
Her captor's house
No specific plans for the house
A first autobiography
Her story on screen
Her father expresses his doubts
Was Natascha's story a lie?
A second autobiography
A prolific writer
Jewelry designer
The flower symbol
An unshakable will
Humanitarian commitment
Where does she live now?
Would she like to have children?
The difficult search for a partner
Horse riding and writing
Looking for work
8 years of imprisonment

When she was only ten years old, the Austrian girl Natascha Kampusch was kidnapped on her way to school. She was held in captivity for eight years until she finally managed to escape. How is the young woman, now 35, and what has she done since that dark period?

March 2, 1998

It was March 2, 1998, when the lives of Natascha Kampusch and her family changed irreparably.

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Kidnapped while going to school

Natascha Kampusch was only ten years old. Like every day, she was on her way to school in the Donaustadt district of Vienna, the capital of Austria. Only 300 meters from the school, and 600 from her home, someone grabbed the girl and dragged her into a white van...

Who was her kidnapper?

Her captor, Wolfgang Přiklopil, was a 36-year-old unemployed telecommunications technician. He kept Natascha Kampusch for eight years in his home in Strasshof an der Nordbahn in the Lower Austrian region.

A well turned into a prison

Přiklopil had previously turned a well under the garage of his house into a prison. The room was approximately 2.3 meters high, 2.5 meters long, and 1.8 meters wide. It had no windows, but it was equipped with a bed, table, television, furniture, toilet, and sink.

A carefully hidden entrance

Investigations revealed that the entrance had been carefully hidden.

Going out just to shower

Natascha Kampusch said she spent six months in this place without leaving it. Only after those first months, she was allowed to enter her captor's house to take a shower.

Shopping, walking and a skiing week

Over the years, the teenager occasionally left her hiding place to go shopping or take a walk with Přiklopil. One time, the two even went skiing, but Přiklopil always made sure that the girl had no contact with anyone.

The terrible tale

Kampusch said she was physically abused by Přiklopil. Fascinated by World War II, he wanted to portray her as a victim of N az ism and sometimes shaved her head.

The renovation of a house

Kampusch also had to perform difficult and taxing physical labor for Přiklopil. Among other things, she renovated an apartment. Her kidnapper then sold the place and made money off the teen's labor.

The escape

3,096 days into her captivity, Natascha Kampusch managed to escape. While washing Přiklopil's car, she took advantage of a moment of his inattention to escape. The girl, 18 at the time, went to a nearby house and asked to be taken to the police.

Přiklopil took his own life

Wolfgang Přiklopil was found dead the same day. He ended his life by throwing himself in front of a train.

A long recovery process

For Natascha Kampusch, years of imprisonment ended that day. But it was only the beginning of a long process of psychological recovery.

Hospitalization

Natascha Kampusch was admitted to a hospital in Vienna. After that, she moved into a shared apartment where she was supported by a team of therapists.

A brief hug

The girl was also finally able to see her mother, Brigitta Sirny (pictured), and her father, Ludwig Koch. Yet, their first meeting was limited to a brief embrace. Natascha Kampusch was kept aside at her own request and confided only in investigators.

An open letter

The case received extensive media coverage. Natascha Kampusch, described by psychologists as highly intelligent and insightful despite her imprisonment, published an open letter in August 2006.

Request to respect her privacy

In this text, Natascha Kampusch describes some aspects of her life during imprisonment. She also asked that the media respect her privacy.

Writer

In the following period, Kampusch gave various interviews. She became a public speaker and writer.

Her first interview

In September 2006, her first interview was broadcast on Austrian public radio. She reiterated her request for privacy and gave a brief account of her imprisonment.

Her own broadcast

In 2008, Natascha Kampusch began hosting her own TV program, 'Natascha Kampusch Trifft' ('Natascha Kampusch Meets'), in which she interviews celebrities.

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Her captor's house

In the same year, the young woman obtained two-thirds ownership of her captor's house. The remaining third went to his mother. Kampusch would be that third and gain ownership of the entire house.

No specific plans for the house

The young woman had no clear idea of what to do with the house where she'd been imprisoned for so many years. Several potential buyers came forward. As she told the German paper Bild-Zeitung: "Money wasn't important to these people, they absolutely wanted the house. But I rejected all the offers."

A first autobiography

In 2010, Kampusch published her autobiography, titled '3096 Days'.

Her story on screen

In the same year, the documentary 'Kidnapped: Natascha Kampusch' was released. In 2013, her autobiography was adapted into a film.

Her father expresses his doubts

Also in 2013, Alan Hall's book 'Vermisst' was published. In it, Natascha Kampusch's father reportedly expressed doubts about the story of her daughter's abduction.

Was Natascha's story a lie?

According to the German weekly Der Spiegel, the book states that "the girl from the cellar is a legend." The writer adds: "She waited until she turned 18 to escape because she didn't want to be placed in foster care or return to her family."

A second autobiography

In 2016, ten years after her escape, Kampusch published a second autobiography, titled '10 Jahre Freiheit' ('10 Years of Freedom').

A prolific writer

In 2019, Kampusch published a very different book. It was an essay about jealousy and discrimination on the internet.

Jewelry designer

Apart from the new writing endeavors, the young woman created her own jewelry collection, 'Fiore,' in 2017. Natascha Kampusch herself designed the jewelry before it was transformed into sterling silver jewelry by goldsmith Gerda Guggenberger.

The flower symbol

The flower, one of her designs, is the symbol that Kampusch has chosen to represent her life. As it says on her website, she "is a being who always begins to bloom again, no matter where or when."

An unshakable will

According to the website, "Natascha never gave up her hopes and her desire to live in freedom again. She had to rely on her own means to free herself, without any help. Today, she is blossoming in all her splendor and radiates positive vibrations, because she can finally feel free, strong, and beautiful!"

Humanitarian commitment

In 2011, Kampusch dedicated herself to humanitarian work. With the help of a charity, she opened a children's hospital in Sri Lanka.

Where does she live now?

Today, at the age of 35, Kampusch lives in Vienna.

Would she like to have children?

When asked about her desire to start a family, Kampusch told Closer magazine in 2018: "I prefer to be alone. When they ask me, I often say, 'Who knows.' But I don't want to get married. And I can't bring myself to imagine having children. Although I think I would be a good mother."

The difficult search for a partner

Kampusch told Austrian television in 2022 that it was difficult for her to meet a love interest. "Many people doubt my story," she said. "And not everyone wants to have a public life. But I can't do anything about it".

Horse riding and writing

About her daily life, Kampusch told the interviewer on the show: "I go to the stables almost every day to ride my horse. It takes up a lot of my time. My books are my main source of income."

Looking for work

Kampusch added: "If anyone can find me another way to earn money, please get in touch with me. Seminars, presentations of something - that might interest me."

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