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Found after 8 years

VIENNA: Austrian authorities said on Thursday a young woman found near Vienna had been identified as a girl who went missing more than eight years ago. The woman said her name was Natascha Kampusch and told police she had been kidnapped and kept in a small enclosure under a garage for years. Her alleged kidnapper committed suicide on Wednesday night.

Police said Ms. Kampusch had been identified by a scar on one of her ears that dates back to an operation she had when she was younger. Results of a DNA test are expected later on Thursday, but ``we are quite sure it's her,'' police said. The discovery could bring closure to one of the biggest police mysteries in recent Austrian history. Ms. Kampusch, then aged 10, vanished in Vienna on her way to school on March 2, 1998. Her disappearance triggered a massive search that extended into neighbouring Hungary. On Wednesday, police said they found the young woman in a garden northeast of Vienna. — AP

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