Natascha Kampusch

Today was the first of Natascha Kampusch's programmes on the TV. She was talking to Niki Lauda about extraordinary stuff apparently! Doesn't sound overly thrilling.

Since buying the house in Strasshof her popularity has sunk somewhat, so not too sure how many are going to watch it. Also it is on a channel that is not popular at all. However, will see what is said about it tomorrow.

What is all this about her popularity being affected?

Surely she never planned or intended or aimed to be popular. I would not want to have to go through a fraction of what she has been through, even to be ultra popular.

I heard about Natascha purchasing the house and understood she did so to stop others from cashing in on her tragedy. Strange isn't it, that when some people become the focus of the worlds media and actually profit from same, that a certain group turn against them? :( :( :(

Or have I read this wrong. I don't get to read much of it over here, as it is not as widely reported.

Please keep us informed, I would appreciate that.

People are losing sympathy with her somewhat would have been a better way of putting it. People don't understand why she wanted to buy the house in Strasshof and think the reasons she bought it are weird. She bought it because she didn't want it knocked down or to be vandalised.

It's been a really weird case from the time it happened. There has been so much speculation with a retired judge insisting that Natascha's mother was involved in the case as apparently she was seen with Priklopil in a bar. Then the book that the mother wrote was deemed tasteless because her daughter was so against it and it was seen as cashing in on a tragedy. (Personally I would never buy the book, because I can't imagine what would be so interesting. It was about the mother's years without Natascha. How often can you write "and she still wasn't there"?)

Now people are asking why she didn't run away earlier because she was apparently out and about with Priklopil and went skiing with him for the day. Her answer to that was that she could hardly run away - it was her first time on skis. She said she tried to tell someone in the ladies' loo who she was but the woman there was a foreigner and didn't speak German.

At the beginning I think everyone really felt for her, but when many details came out they lost their sympathy for her. I think too that the fact she had so many people looking after her at the beginning - I'm sure she was a total guinea pig for many - including a press advisor who was telling her what to say made people suspicious.

People think that they know how they would react - which they can't know, because it hasn't happened to them! - and she isn't acting like some broken victim in public. I think they would rather she were completely broken because it would fit into their idea of a real victim better. Daft isn't it!

...losing sympathy might have been a better description.

I would like to say, that whatever Nataschas motive was, for buying that house, it is nobody elses business, but her own. The articles I read stated that she did not want it to become some sort of sordid tourist attraction with the general public/tourists visiting same as if it were some sort of monument to the case. Personally, I can equate to that. I would hate to think that the house (not home) that was the setting in which Rosemary and Fred West subjected their victims to their horrific ordeal, was still standing. I would not wish that to be any attraction here in the UK, anymore than that residence in your homeland.

I read some articles about the retired judge too and his latest application to the courts, in which Natascha, I believe, not only attended, but defended. The strain on the type of speculation by this judge on the family, is almost incomprehensible to grasp.

With regards to the skiing holiday. I read that they were stopped for some traffic violation - not sure how accurate that was, but am aware of the bonds that exist in this captor/victim type of relationship - there is a name for it, which does not come to mind at present, but I am sure you will be familiar with same.

I hope that she has the love and support of those that matter in her life, for that is what is truly important imo. The public can be fickle and in many such cases, it is easy to judge another, in a manner that one would not want to be judged themselves.

Please keep us informed.