A woman who was kidnapped, raped and held captive for 18 years was so afraid of her abductors that she never tried to escape, according to court documents.

Jaycee Dugard, the girl held prisoner in California for 18 years, will be spared from giving pre-trial evidence against her alleged captors.

A JUDGE yesterday set bail at $30 million (€20.5m) for a California man accused of kidnapping a girl and holding her captive for 18 years.