41 Facts About Natascha Kampusch

Natascha Maria Kampusch was born on 17 February 1988 and is an Austrian author and former talk show host.

Natascha Kampusch has written a book about her ordeal, 3,096 Days, which was later adapted into a film and released in 2013.

Natascha Kampusch's family included two adult sisters, and five nieces and nephews.

Sirny and Koch separated while Natascha Kampusch was still a child and divorced after her abduction.

Natascha Kampusch spent time with both of them, and had returned to her mother's home from a holiday with Koch the day before her kidnapping.

Ludwig Adamovich, head of a special commission looking into possible police failures in the investigation of the kidnapping, claimed that the time Natascha Kampusch was imprisoned "was always better than what she had known until then".

However, Natascha Kampusch asserted that her mother was not abusive and that her home life was better than life in captivity.

The 10-year-old Natascha Kampusch left her family's residence in Vienna's Donaustadt district on the morning of 2 March 1998, but failed to arrive at school or come home.

Natascha Kampusch stated that he was alone at home on the morning of the kidnapping, and the police were satisfied with his explanation that he was using the minibus to transport rubble from the construction of his home.

Natascha Kampusch had carried her passport with her when she left, as she had been on a family trip to Hungary a few days before, so the police extended the search abroad.

In later years, she was seen outside in the garden alone, and Priklopil's business partner had said that Natascha Kampusch seemed relaxed and happy when he called at his home to borrow a trailer.

Natascha Kampusch later took her on a skiing trip to a resort near Vienna for a few hours.

Natascha Kampusch initially denied that they had made the trip, but eventually admitted that it was true, although she said that no opportunities to escape had arisen during that time.

Natascha Kampusch did not feel that she had missed out on anything during her imprisonment, but she noted, "I spared myself many things, I did not start smoking or drinking and I did not hang out in bad company", but she said, "It was a place to despair".

Natascha Kampusch was given a television and radio to pass the time, although she was initially only allowed to watch taped programmes and listen to foreign radio stations so that she would not be aware of the publicised search for her.

Natascha Kampusch claimed to be carrying a gun and that he would kill her and the neighbours if she attempted to escape.

Natascha Kampusch attempted to make noise during her early years of captivity by throwing bottles of water against the walls.

Natascha Kampusch said that, when out in public with Priklopil, she had unsuccessfully attempted to attract attention.

The 18-year-old Natascha Kampusch escaped from Priklopil's house on 23 August 2006.

Natascha Kampusch left the vacuum cleaner running and ran away when Priklopil was out of sight.

Natascha Kampusch ran for some 200 meters through neighbouring gardens and a street, jumping fences, and asking bystanders to call the police, but they paid her no attention.

Later, Natascha Kampusch was taken to the police station in the town of Deutsch-Wagram.

Natascha Kampusch was identified by a scar on her body, by her passport, and by DNA tests.

Natascha Kampusch was born to Karl and Waltraud Priklopil in Vienna, and was an only child.

Natascha Kampusch's father was a cognac salesman and his mother was a shoe saleswoman.

Natascha Kampusch had apparently planned all along to end his own life rather than be caught, having told Kampusch, "they would not catch [him] alive".

Natascha Kampusch has referred to her captor as a "criminal".

Newspapers quoting unnamed psychologists suggested that Natascha Kampusch might suffer from Stockholm syndrome, but Natascha Kampusch says that this is not the case.

Natascha Kampusch suggests that people who use this term about her are disrespectful of her and do not allow her the right to describe and analyze the complex relationship that she had with her kidnapper in her own words.

Natascha Kampusch's lawyer described the book as being both speculative and premature and therefore planned to take legal action against it.

Natascha Kampusch appeared at the initial presentation of the book in August 2007, but did not want to be photographed or interviewed.

Natascha Kampusch wrote a book about her ordeal, 3096 Tage, published in September 2010.

On 12 August 2016, Natascha Kampusch released her second book titled 10 Years of Freedom.

The film was Eichinger's last before his sudden death on 24 January 2011; Natascha Kampusch attended his funeral.

In 2011, the Austrian film Michael, which has a plot that resembles the Natascha Kampusch case, was released.

Natascha Kampusch established her own website containing personal information including pictures of herself on 5 December 2007.

Natascha Kampusch had her own talk show on the new Austria TV channel, PULS 4, starting on 1 June 2008.

The house where Natascha Kampusch was imprisoned was built by Priklopil's grandfather, Oskar Priklopil, after World War II.

Natascha Kampusch now owns the house in which she was imprisoned.

In January 2010, Natascha Kampusch said she had retained the house because it was such a big part of her formative years, stating that she would fill in the cellar if it is ever sold, adamant that it will never become a macabre museum to her lost adolescence.

In 2011, the cellar was filled in; as of 2017 Natascha Kampusch still owned the house.