How Natascha Kampusch Survived Eight Years In Captivity

How Natascha Kampusch Survived Eight Years In Captivity

Author: Mamamia Podcasts April 15, 2026 Duration: 45:52

On March 2, 1998, 10-year-old Austrian girl Natascha Kampusch disappeared on her way to school. 

What followed was 3,096 days in captivity, hidden inside a soundproof cellar, cut off from the outside world and shaped by fear, control, and a deeply complex psychological dynamic with her captor.

Journalist Rahni Sadler spent a lot of time getting to know Natascha, interviewing her in 2011 and again in 2016, and even visiting the house where she was held. In this episode, she offers insight into Natascha’s story - revealing the quiet strength, nuance, and resilience behind one of the most confronting cases in modern history.....

LINKS

Find more of Rahni's work here.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes. 

CREDITS 

Guest: Rahni Sadler

Host: Gemma Bath 

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy

Video Editor: Julian Rosario

Audio Engineer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 100

True Crime Conversations
Podcast Episodes
The Brutal Melbourne Killer Who Never Went To Prison [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:43
In May 2019, 25-year-old Courtney Herron was murdered after a night out in Melbourne’s CBD. What happened next would ignite national outrage and raise disturbing questions about justice in Australia. In this episode, Cou…
The Deadly Obsession That Drove Jodi Arias To Murder Her Lover [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:39
The case of Jodi Arias, the woman who murdered her former lover, Travis Alexander, in 2008, captivated audiences around the world. When the trial began in 2013, media coverage intensified, driven by a disturbing question…
The Missing Australians You’ve Never Heard Of [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:09
Two 15-year-olds vanish after heading to a disco in Wollongong. An 18-year-old Belgian backpacker disappears after a night out in Byron Bay. A 20-year-old Navy recruit vanishes from a casino lobby in a matter of minutes.…
What Happens When Your Ex Hires A Hitman To Have You Killed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:21
Who would try to hire a hitman to kill an innocent young girl? In early 2021, Riley ended a relationship with a man she had been in a year-long online relationship with after she alleges he assaulted her. Despite the bre…
He Killed His Entire Family, Then Walked Free To Start Another [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:20
On September 7, 1971, at a remote farmhouse 40 kilometres south of Adelaide, Clifford Bartholomew killed 10 people. His wife, his seven children, his sister-in-law and her 19-month-old son. He shot them all dead. He was…
The Adelaide Schoolgirl Abducted From Her Bed Without A Trace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:37
On a summer evening in January 1983, 10-year-old Louise Bell went missing from her bedroom in Adelaide's Hackham West. It was a case that horrified Australia, as every parent's worst nightmare became reality for the Bell…
The Prison Guard Who Fell In Love With An Inmate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:20
In 1992, career criminal Peter Gibb met prison guard Heather Parker while serving a 12-year sentence at the Melbourne Remand Centre. Heather claimed she didn’t notice Peter at first, but she quickly became smitten, and t…
Australia's Dark History Of Forced Adoptions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:21
For nearly half a century, Australia was engaged in a shameful and shocking practice that would tear babies from the arms of their mothers, sometimes before they ever even laid eyes on their precious little faces. Today,…