Carolyn, I did follow the case, and I seem to recall that it was not the girl who stepped forward, but someone else, someone who asked directly who she was. Am I wrong about that? Is so, sorry for my mistake.
You are correct. She was actually trying to hide who she was and only when an officer pulled her aside, away from the two kidnappers, and told her she had nothing to be afraid of and she could tell who she really was that she finally admitted who she was. Fear is pervasive with these kidnap victims.