The kidnapping thriller Dear Child is currently thrilling crime fans on Netflix. The German broadcaster RTL follows suit on Thursday evening: You can watch the true crime thriller Kidnapped – 14 Days of Survival on TV today. Unlike the Netflix hit, the RTL thriller is based on true events.
What is Kidnapped – 14 Days of Survival about?
The life of investor Jochem Erlemann (Torben Liebrecht), who was extremely successful in the 1970s, is no longer going according to plan. In 1980 he ended up in custody on fraud charges and his assets were frozen. And just at this time, his little son Johannes (Cecilio Andresen) is kidnapped.
The kidnappers only want to release him for a horrendously high ransom. Wife and mother Gabi (Sonja Gerhardt) stands alone in a wide area and has to move heaven and earth to get three million marks and save her child.
What is the true background of the film?
Mild spoilers follow: Kidnapped – 14 Days of Survival follows a real kidnapping case that took place in Cologne in the early 1980s. This is how the actual names of the family members are used. The real Johannes Erlemann, the then eleven-year-old kidnap victim, remained silent about the incidents for a long time, but has increasingly come into the public eye in recent years. He was involved in the production of the film Kidnapped – 14 Days of Survival in an advisory capacity. This guarantees a certain level of authenticity.
The case continues to concern true crime fans over 40 years later, because: A large part of the ransom paid out could never be found, even after the court case. In addition, it was never fully clarified whether father Jochem Erlemann played a role in the kidnapping, as an old report from Spiegel suggests.
When is Kidnapped – 14 Days of Survival on TV?
14 Days of Survival runs at 8:15 p.m. on RTL. There is no repeat, but you can catch up on the thriller as a stream on RTL+. There you will also find an accompanying documentary.
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