Natascha Kampusch, who was kidnapped at age 10 and held captive for over eight years, has spoken of her guilt over her captor's suicide. Wolfgang Priklopil killed himself after she escaped in August 2006.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 live, she said: 'I feel guilty because I brought about his death because of what I did.' She added that she had foreseen his suicide, stating: 'I knew that if I didn't try and escape, he would kill me sooner or later. And I knew that if I tried to escape, he would kill himself.'
Ms Kampusch managed to flee while cleaning Priklopil's car when he was distracted by a phone call. Despite acknowledging she is not to blame, she said she feels uncomfortable about triggering his death.
In her book, 3,096 Days, she describes being beaten, starved and abused. She found small ways to defy him, realising his rage was not aimed at her but at the inescapable situation. She also asked him to read her stories and give her a goodnight kiss, which helped her cope.
