Natacha Kampusch, a teenager in Vienna, Austria who was kept prisoner for more than eight years in a dingy cell now says that her captor was a "poor soul." Natascha spoke to the media Tuesday, a year after her dramatic escape. She was 10 years old when she was kidnapped in Vienna on her way to school. She spent the next 8 1/2 years confined by her captor, Wolfgang Priklopil. She was mainly kept in a tiny underground dungeon in his home. At age 44, Priklopil committed suicide within hours of Kampusch's escape on Aug. 23, 2006. "All I can say is that, bit by bit, I feel more sorry for him," Kampusch, now 19, said in a Austrian documentary. She referred to Priklopil as a "poor soul - lost and misguided." Kampusch said goodbye to Priklopil as he lay in a coffin. He committed suicide hours after her escape by throwing himself in front of a commuter train hours. She said, "It was always clear there could only be one of us and it was me in the end - and not him."
Update 4-28-08. Similar story about an Austrian engineer that allegedly kept his daughter locked up for over 20 years. LINK.
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24 comments:
I can tell you right now she is much more forgiving then I would ever be...
Shell
What a nice gesture...
Seems like she developed some feelings for him during the captivity.
Holly
I think it is "Patty Hurst" syndrome when you develop contacts or connections with your captor.
Joey C.
Poor child. She will never get completely over it.
Life goes on. She is getting over it.
She shows too much mercy!
Range me. Wait...he's dead.
L.S.
Natacha is a much kinder person than I would be under those circumstances.
Stockholm Syndrome. She's still tied to him - "It was always clear there could only be one of us and it was me in the end" Us??! She can forgive him because she still sees them as somehow connected.
Once she fully seperates, she'll be able to feel anger.
Poor kiddo. It's a rough road ahead.
Colleency and Ms. C. Great insight. Thanks for sharing.
Yup, L.S. No debate about the death penalty in this case. Wolfgang carried out his own trial, sentence and execution.
Yes, L.S. No debate about the death penalty in this case. Wolfgang carried out his own trial, sentence and execution.
what a nice girl
Sweet forgiving young woman.
Natacha is a saint!
I think it is real common for people to develop feelings for their captors. After being trapped in a marriage for 23 years, I even began to develop feelings for my ogre husband!
Yolanda P.
The Austrian Engineer who admitted to holding his daughter in a cellar for over 20 years is a similar story. See home page.
What a similar type of torture
Yuk to all these incestual realtionships. If I wanted to read about this, I would have stayed in Kentucky and just read wedding invitations!
Jester
how can you just forgive someone for doing this to you??? do you think the fritzel family will just get over it like this young lady has?
Stockholms syndrom is well documented. Yes, I think Frizl's family has at least in part forgiven him.
Interesting topic.
Alcohol is another important reason for the risk of getting esophageal cancer apart from smoking. is my ip on a blacklist
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