Ransom money frees couple from pirates after many attempts

(CNN) - Paul and Rachel Chandler said they were "skinny and bony - but fine" after more than a year being held hostage by pirates but the British couple could spend years coming to terms with the "psychological torture" of their ordeal.The Chandlers, who were seized while sailing off the Horn of Africa in October 2009, said Monday they planned to return to the UK very soon to be reunited with their families. With the couple pictured on the front pages of most British newspapers on Monday, they also face intense media interest in their story.

What’s the impact of the $750,000 in ransom money paid for the couple’s release? And how unprecedented, or not, is this case?

CNN reporter and pirate expert Kaj Larsen answers these questions and explains how the pirate negotiating process works. He talks about the bumps along the way before  the Chandlers were released.