France, October 14: The first photograph of kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard since she was found after her 18-year captivity was published by People magazine on its website today.
Ms Dugard was at the centre of a worldwide media frenzy in August when she was found alive nearly two decades after she was abducted outside her home by convicted rapist Phillip Garrido in South Lake Tahoe in 1991.
Now 29, Ms Dugard has spent the past two months in seclusion with her mother, Terry Probyn, 50, and the two daughters aged 15 and 11 who were fathered by her alleged kidnapper Garrido.
In a photo for the cover of People magazine’s latest issue due out on Friday, a smiling Ms Dugard appears above the headline: “I’m so happy to be back.”
In a brief story accompanying the photo, People reported that Ms Dugard has begun a slow process of recovery and has spend her time riding horses, cooking meals and is considering working on a book.
“I’m so happy to be back with my family,” Dugard was quoted as saying.
Terry Probyn’s step-mother Joan Curry meanwhile revealed: “They live a surprisingly normal life, considering the circumstances.”
Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy are accused of abducting Dugard and holding her prisoner in a secret compound hidden behind their home in the town of Antioch, east of San Francisco.
The couple have pleaded not guilty to a 29-count indictment that includes charges of kidnapping and rape.
—Agencies