'Stay strong and never give up': Kidnapping victim Natascha Kampusch who was held captive in a cellar for eight years delivers message of hope for Madeleine McCann's parents

  • Natascha Kampusch was taken in 1998 by Wolfgang Přiklopil on way to school
  • In 2006 Ms Kampusch escaped and Přiklopil killed himself before an arrest
  • In her first UK TV interview, Ms Kampusch told Good Morning Britain that trying to live a normal life since her escape had been 'so difficult'

In her first UK TV interview kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch delivered a message of hope for the parents of missing Madeleine McCann. 

Austrian Miss Kampusch was abducted in 1998 by Wolfgang Přiklopil while walking to school and held prisoner in a secret basement cell in his house for eight years.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, she was asked if she had a message for the McCanns ten years on from Madeleine's disappearance.

Kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch (pictured) appeared on Good Morning Britain in her first UK TV interview

Kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch (pictured) appeared on Good Morning Britain in her first UK TV interview

Miss Kampusch was abducted in 1998 by Wolfgang Přiklopil while walking to school and escaped eight years later
She delivered a message of hope for the parents of missing Madeleine McCann

Miss Kampusch was abducted in 1998 by Wolfgang Přiklopil while walking to school and escaped eight years later. She delivered a message of hope for the parents of missing Madeleine McCann (right) 

She said: 'Please stay strong and never give up yourself and I hope that Madeleine appears.'

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, Miss Kampusch told of her harrowing ordeal and the abuse she suffered at the hands of Přiklopil. 

The 29-year-old, who managed to escape through an unlocked gate in 2006, let cameras into the house where she was held. 

Miss Kampusch said that Kate  and Gerry McCann (pictured) should 'stay strong and never give up  hope'

Miss Kampusch said that Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured) should 'stay strong and never give up hope'

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, Miss Kampusch described her time held in a secret cellar, concealed behind a cupboard, underneath Přiklopil's garage

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, Miss Kampusch described her time held in a secret cellar, concealed behind a cupboard, underneath Přiklopil's garage

She bought the home after her kidnapper killed himself to avoid arrest. 

'I saw that option [to escape] and I thought I have to do it now because it's a chance and maybe it works,' she said. 

'And after then I was so excited about my escape and my freedom and then I was a little bit shocked about the new experiences and about the new [opportunities]. I feel very uncomfortable.' 

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, Miss Kampusch spoke about her harrowing ordeal and the abuse she suffered at the hands of Přiklopil
Of her captor (pictured) she said: 'I think he was a lonely person, he was like a person without friends and without any love and perspectives'

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, Miss Kampusch (left) spoke about her harrowing ordeal and the abuse she suffered at the hands of Přiklopil (right) 

The 29-year-old, who managed to escape through an unlocked gate in 2006, let cameras into the house where she was held

The 29-year-old, who managed to escape through an unlocked gate in 2006, let cameras into the house where she was held

Miss Kampusch bought the home after her kidnapper Přiklopil killed himself to avoid arrest

Miss Kampusch bought the home after her kidnapper Přiklopil killed himself to avoid arrest

Of her captor she said: 'I think he was a lonely person, he was like a person without friends and without any love and perspectives.' 

The author also spoke about hard its has been for her to live a normal life since her escape at the age of 18.

'It was so difficult because there were so many influences from every side and it wasn't easy to re-integrate myself,' she said. 

'It was so long and I was a child and then I was an adult person with another point of view, also with another point of view as other people.'

The author also spoke about hard its has been for her to live a normal life since her escape at from the basement (pictured) the age of 18
'It was so difficult because there were so many influences from every side and it wasn't easy to re-integrate myself,' she said.

The author also spoke about hard its has been for her to live a normal life since her escape at from the basement (pictured left and right in 2006) the age of 18

Speaking of her decision to keep the house she was held captive in, she said: 'Maybe it's also to have the control, to have the power and to have satisfaction of surviving.'  

Miss Kampusch said she hoped that to have a family of her own in the future. 

She said: 'I think I want to have a garden and a swimming pool and maybe sheep, I think. 

'I love animals and so it would be nice. I want to have lots of projects - charity projects to help other people, that's so important to me - and maybe sometime I [will] care for my own children and husband, maybe, that's not the first thing.'

3,096 DAYS MISSING: THE KIDNAP OF NATASCHA KAMPUSCH  

Ten-year-old Natascha Kampusch was snatched by Wolfgang Přiklopil on March 2, 1998

Ten-year-old Natascha Kampusch was snatched by Wolfgang Přiklopil on March 2, 1998

Ten-year-old Natascha Kampusch was snatched by Wolfgang Přiklopil on March 2, 1998 as she walk to school in Vienna's Donaustadt district.

When she did not returned home her parents reported her missing, sparking one of the largest searches the country had ever seen.

A 12-year-old witness reported that he had seen her being dragged into a white minibus by two men, although Miss Kampusch has always denied anyone else being involved. 

Hundreds of minivans in Vienna were searched during the hunt for the kidnapper, including Přiklopil's, but no trace of Miss Kampusch was found. 

The search was complicated by the fact that Miss Kampusch had her passport with her when she was taken as she had been on a family trip to Hungary a few days before. This led detectives to extended their search abroad. 

Miss Kampusch was held in a secret cellar, concealed behind a cupboard, underneath Přiklopil's garage for eight years. It had five square metres of floor space and the door was reinforced with steel. It had no windows and was soundproof.

For the first six months of her captivity, Miss Kampusch said was not allowed to leave the room. In the years that followed she was occasionally let out and spent time cleaning her captors home. 

On August 23, 2006 Miss Kampusch was vacuuming Přiklopil's BMW when he received a call on his mobile. 

He moved away from Miss Kampusch to take the call away from the noise. Leaving the vacuum cleaner running she ran away, eventually knocking on the door of a 71-year-old neighbour who called the police. 

Miss Kampusch was taken to the police station where she was identified with DNA tests.  

When he realised she had escaped, Přiklopil killed himself by jumping in front of a train rather than face arrest. 

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.