World News 23-12-2003 Kidnap Victim Home For Christmas who: Kidnap victim Mark Henderson what: Freed by revels after 102 days in captivity where: Colombia when: Yesterday snippet: "Mark Henderson, the British backpacker kidnapped by Colombian rebels 102 days ago, was yesterday released and flown to safety," reports The Guardian. "Mr Henderson, 32, from Lincoln, was kidnapped with seven others by the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN, on September 12 as they were trekking to the 2,500-year-old Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) ruins in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains." After an emotional call home, his mother told the BBC: "I just felt from the beginning that Mark would be home safely. It`s just wonderful. It was lovely to hear his voice, he sounded extremely cheerful." "He looked exhausted, having been walking since Friday to get to the rendezvous point for the handover," says The Independent. "After tucking into Coca-Cola and cheese, Mr Henderson was due to spend last night at the British embassy in Bogota before his flight home." Mr Henderson - who says it was never clear why he had been captured - and four Israelis were handed over to a humanitarian commission from the Catholic Church in Colombia. Of the original eight, British teenager Matthew Scott escaped a few days after the capture and two other hostages - a German and a Spaniard - were released in November. "Mark Henderson`s parents aside, no one was more relieved to hear of his release than Matthew Scott, the British gap year student who escaped from the Colombian guerrillas," says The Telegraph. "For the past three months, Matthew, 19, has been left to wonder whether his decision to make a run for it, against Mr Henderson`s advice, might have prejudiced the chances of the other captives of being treated well and being released early." [... more]

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