Children aged 12 and over are the victims of kidnapping in more than 80% of the cases. Teen behavior and irresponsibility are often considered the culprit before officials consider abduction. This is not the case for children aged 12 and under. A younger child who has gone missing often prompts quicker action.
Almost all kids kidnapped by strangers are taken by men, and about two thirds of stranger abductions involve female children. Most abducted kids are in their teens.
What are the odds of a child being kidnapped? The chances of a child getting kidnapped aren't as high as people may think. They are 1 in 300,000. However, abduction can increase if a child is of non-white ethnicity, a girl, or lives in a foster home.
In 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) labelled New South Wales the Kidnapping Capital of Australia, reporting 225 victims, followed by Victoria with 158 and Queensland and South Australia 59 each; with very few in other States and Territories.
The principal motives for kidnapping are to subject the victim to some form of involuntary servitude, to expose him to the commission of some further criminal act against his person, or to obtain ransom for his safe release.
How does a kidnapper choose his victim? Kidnappers tend to develop a profile of their likely target before making an abduction based upon their overall goals, which usually falls into one of three categories: financial gain, extremism or emotional disturbance.
Kidnapping of children is usually done by one parent or others. The kidnapping of adults is often for ransom or to force someone to withdraw money from an ATM, but may also be for sexual assault.
There are currently about 2,600 long-term missing persons cases in Australia and experts estimate there are some 500 unidentified human remains archived around the country.
PENALTIES. As per section 81 of the Crimes Act 1900, kidnapping is a serious crime with potentially significant penalties. The basic offence of kidnapping attracts a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment, while kidnapping in circumstances of aggravation can attract a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.
Under Section 86 of the Crimes Act 1900, a person who unlawfully takes or detains another person, without their consent and with the intention of holding them for ransom or any other reason, can be charged with kidnapping. The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 14 years.
Children under the age of 6 are most frequently targeted for family abductions and these often occur in the midst of bitter divorce or child custody battles between parents.
The countries with the highest rates of kidnap are those with weak security infrastructures, high levels of impunity and economic disparity, such as Mexico, Venezuela and Nigeria, and those experiencing prolonged conflicts, such as Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.
According to studies, the chance of survival is around 90%. While the negotiation path will always be the safest, a successful release is determined by skilful negotiations. Our team of professional kidnap response consultants will support your effort to facilitate the safe release of your employees or loved ones.
In 2021, more than 34,000 missing persons reports in Australia related to children under age 18.
In conclusion, the United States has done many things to help prevent more kidnappings and abduction from occurring. Some tactics that kidnappers use on their kidnap children are brainwashing, hypnosis, and physical abuse. Mind control can be a powerful method to turn children from the real truth.
A Missing Person is defined as anyone whose whereabouts are unknown and there are genuine fears for the safely or concerns for the welfare of that person. It is important to remember that going missing is NOT a crime.
States treat all kidnapping offenses as serious crimes. At the minimum, people convicted of this offense will likely face custody in state prison for up to five years. Aggravated kidnapping convictions can result in a prison sentence of between 20 years to life.
Kidnapping is usually accompanied with a ransom for money or other gains. However, a crime of abduction is considered to be when a person has been taken away from his or her original location by persuading him or her, by some act of fraud or with a forceful way that may include violence.
A four-year-old girl missing for 18 days in a remote part of Western Australia has been found alive and well in a locked house, police have said. Cleo Smith disappeared from her family's tent at a campsite near the town of Carnarvon on 16 October, triggering a massive search.
Jane, Arnna and Grant Beaumont lived with their parents, Grant "Jim" Beaumont, a former serviceman and taxi driver, and Nancy Beaumont (née Ellis), who had married in December 1955. Their house was at 109 Harding Street, Somerton Park, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide.
The ten states with the most missing persons are California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, New York, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. California is the state with the most missing persons with 2,133 reported cases. Florida has the second highest number of missing persons with 1,252 cases reported.
Fortunately, kidnapping is a relatively rare occurrence in Australia. Most abductions of children in this country are by family members where there is no intention to harm the child, only to deprive the other parent of care of the child.
Rohypnol. Rohypnol is a brand name for a powerful sedative that is often referred to as "roofies." Rohypnol is not legally available for prescription in the US and so just having it in your possession signals intent to commit a crime.
THE RISE OF ADULT KIDNAPPINGS
The motivations behind a kidnapping usually vary, with the most common factors including human trafficking, mob justice, robbery, sexual offences and criminal vendetta. Kidnappings often go unreported for fear of the victim being harmed by the captors.