Parents Accused Of Kidnapping Daughter To Force Abortion Reach Plea Deal

Wednesday, October 10th 2007, 6:40 pm

By: News On 6

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ A couple accused of kidnapping their daughter to force her to have an abortion last year have reached a plea agreement in which they will serve no time behind bars, the couple's lawyer said Wednesday.

Nicholas and Lola Kampf have agreed to plead guilty Friday to misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct charges to resolve the case, said Thomas Hallett, Nicholas Kampf's attorney.

Under the agreement, the couple will avoid jail time and the assault charge will be dropped once they complete counseling, Hallett said.

``The reality is this was a family matter from the get-go. We tried to resolve this in the best way possible. It was in the best interest of everyone not to blow this up into a big trial,'' Hallett said.

The Kampfs' daughter, Katelyn, 20, said she would be in court to voice her opposition to the decision to drop kidnapping charges.

``What I've been looking for is some sort of justice,'' she said. ``Them walking away with a misdemeanor is certainly not that.''

The Kampfs were accused of tying up their daughter, forcing her into their car and heading toward New York for an abortion. They were arrested last September at a shopping center in Salem, N.H., after Katelyn fled and called police on a cell phone. Police found a .22-caliber rifle, duct tape and rope in the car.

District Attorney Stephanie Anderson didn't return a call from The Associated Press. She told the Portland Press Herald that she was surprised by Kampf's remarks because she was involved in the discussions.

Breaking her silence on the ordeal, Katelyn Kampf described a harrowing experience that ensued Sept. 15, 2006, after her parents learned she was pregnant with a mixed-race baby. Kampf is white. Reme Johnson, her boyfriend at the time, is black.

Kampf said her mother referred to the baby she was carrying as a ``science project'' before the episode unfolded.

``At one point I did make it out the door and I ran down the driveway,'' she said. ``I didn't make it a 100 feet. My dad chased me and tackled me in the driveway. I had grass stains all over my clothes. I was screaming for help.''

Hallett denied that the Kampfs were racist but said the parents were troubled by the unplanned pregnancy.

``These were two parents who were absolutely torn apart by what was happening to their daughter, just torn apart,'' Hallett said. ``It was like a nuclear explosion going off in any family that has to face a similar situation.''

Kampf, who gave birth in January to a son, D'Andre Johnson, said it's hard to imagine reconciliation with her parents.

``Honestly, I don't think that I could ever face my parents again after what we went through. My mom spit in my face, said she wished she never had me, said I'd ruined her life,'' she said. She added, however, that their absence represents a ``huge loss in my life.''

Reme Johnson is being held by immigration officials and is to be deported to his native South Africa after serving time for receiving stolen property.