NGO warns rising tide of kidnapping ‘can no longer be ignored’
Missing Children South Africa says the country’s law enforcement agencies can no longer afford to ignore the rising tide of kidnappings and incidents of human trafficking in South Africa.
Police say kidnappings rose from 3 832 cases in 2013 to nearly 11 000 cases in 2021.
Most took place in Gauteng.
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Between January and March this year, 3 641 cases were recorded, a 10 percent rise compared with the same period in 2022.
Missing Children SA says people who suspect a loved one has been kidnapped must approach the police immediately, as there is no waiting period for reporting a person or child missing in South Africa.
The organisation’s Bianca van Aswegen has advised parents and relatives whose loved ones go goes missing not to share their personal information on social media or flyers.
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"We see a lot of extortion cases - their private numbers are being shared on social media.
"Please work with the right channels such as Missing Children South Africa where a proper slide is being put out with the necessary emergency contact numbers as well as that of the police station that the case is being reported to, so we don't sit with another case on top of a missing person's case where we sit with an extortion case."
