It’s Not Stockholm Syndrome: The Strange Abduction of Natascha Kampusch
Natascha Kampusch was abducted at ten years old and held captive for eight years in a dungeon where her kidnapper homeschooled her. Forgiveness is not Stockholm Syndrome.
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In 1998, in Vienna, Austria Natascha Kampusch is abducted on her way to school by Wolfgang Přiklopil. She is held captive for eight years until her brave escape at 18.
What many people do not know is that for the first several years of Kampusch’s captivity, Přiklopil did not assault her.
Instead, the kidnapper homeschooled his captive.
The public, however, does not care. They decide how a kidnapping victim should act, how a victim should heal, and how a victim should live, despite never having been an abduction victim themselves.
Because Natascha Kampusch has chosen to maintain understanding and gratitude towards her abductor, the public has justified its merciless bullying.
In fact, she even purchased the home he kept her captive in and chose to live in it, resulting in vicious cyberbullying from the enraged public who insist she must be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
Even the police jumped on the bandwagon, embarrassed and resentful that Kampusch freed herself and shined a light on incredible evidence they had ignored years earlier.
Despite what the media claims, Kampusch insists her attitude towards her kidnapper is NOT Stockholm Syndrome.
Natascha Kampusch’s memoir, 3,096 Days in Captivity, details the strange, complex relationship between Kampusch and her kidnapper and what the media never understood.
The Abduction
In 1998, Natascha Kampusch is walking to school alone. On her way to school, she sees a young man awkwardly standing outside of his open delivery van near the sidewalk.
Quite ironically, in an attempt to overcome her fear of strangers, Natascha Kampusch made the effort to intentionally walk in front of this young man.
