The “Zulo” (Secret Cellar)
Přiklopil kept her in a tiny, windowless, and soundproof secret room buried beneath his garage in Strasshof an der Nordbahn. The room was roughly 5 square meters (approx. 54 sq ft) in size and hidden behind a heavy concrete door disguised by a shelving unit.
For the first few years, she was completely isolated in the cellar. As she grew older, Přiklopil allowed her into the main house and the garden, but subjected her to severe physical abuse, starvation, psychological manipulation, and forced labor.On August 23, 2006, while vacuuming Přiklopil’s car, he stepped away to answer a phone call. Seizing the distraction, Kampusch ran away and sought help from a neighbor.
Hours after her escape, knowing the police were hunting for him, Přiklopil committed suicide by jumping in front of a suburban train in Vienna.
