Editing Kidnapping

{{Short description|Unlawful abduction of someone and holding them captive}}
{{redirect-several|Kidnapping|Kidnapped|Kidnapper|Kidnap}}
{{globalize|date=June 2017}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Kidnapping}}
[[File:Ståhlbergs' at the railwaystation.jpg|thumb|[[Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg|K. J. Ståhlberg]] (in the center-right), the first [[President of the Republic of Finland]], and his wife at the [[Helsinki Central Station]] after [[Ståhlberg kidnapping|their kidnapping]]. Their daughter Elli Ståhlberg stands in the center, behind them.]]
'''Kidnapping''' or '''abduction''' is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a [[crime]] in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by fraud or deception. Kidnapping is distinguished from [[false imprisonment]] by the intentional movement of the victim to a different location.

Kidnapping may be done to demand a ransom in exchange for releasing the victim, or for other illegal purposes. Kidnapping can be accompanied by bodily injury, which in some jurisdictions elevates the crime to aggravated kidnapping.<ref name="kidnapping">{{cite web |title=Definition of kidnapping|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/kidnapping|id=''Sources:'' [https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/kidnapping Cornell University Law School.] [https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/kidnap Cambridge English Dictionary.] [https://web.archive.org/web/20160928051449/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/kidnapping English Oxford Living Dictionaries.] [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kidnap Merriam-Webster Dictionary] |year=2017}}</ref>

Kidnapping of a child may be a distinct crime, depending on jurisdiction.

==Motives==
[[File:Dinah tissot.jpg|thumb|upright|The abduction of [[Dinah]] (watercolor, {{Circa|1896–1902}} by [[James Tissot]])]]

Kidnapping can occur for a variety of reasons, with motivations for the crime varying particularly based on the perpetrator.

=== Ransom ===
The kidnapping of a person, most often an adult, for ransom is a common motivation behind kidnapping. This method is primarily utilized by larger organizations, such as criminal gangs, terrorist organizations, or insurgent groups.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Welsh |first=Blair |date=2024 |title=Taking Civilians: Terrorist Kidnapping in Civil War |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqae074 |journal=International Studies Quarterly |volume=68 |issue=2 |doi=10.1093/isq/sqae074 |issn=0020-8833|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Gilbert |first=Danielle |date=November 2022 |title=The Logic of Kidnapping in Civil War: Evidence from Colombia |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/logic-of-kidnapping-in-civil-war-evidence-from-colombia/906B5C3924A9EFE7E63A8646BFCF752E |journal=American Political Science Review |language=en |volume=116 |issue=4 |pages=1226–1241 |doi=10.1017/S0003055422000041 |issn=0003-0554|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Typically this is done for financial incentive, with sums of money varying depending on the victim or the method of kidnapping.

[[List of gangs in Mexico|Mexican gangs]] are estimated to have made up to $250 million in kidnappings from [[Central America]]n migrants.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Stargardter |first1=Gabriel |last2=Gardner |first2=Simon |title=Mexican Gangs Could Be Making Up To $250 Million A Year By Abusing And Extorting Migrants |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/r-migrants-snared-in-multi-million-dollar-kidnap-racket-on-us-mexico-border-2014-10 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

According to a 2022 study by political scientist Danielle Gilbert, armed groups in Colombia engage in ransom kidnappings as a way to maintain the armed groups' local systems of taxation. The groups resort to ransom kidnappings to punish [[tax evasion]] and incentivize inhabitants not to shirk.<ref name=":1" /> A 2024 study argued that insurgent groups are more likely to engage in kidnappings "under two conditions: to generate support and reinstate bargaining capacity when organizations suffer military losses on the battlefield and to enforce loyalties and display strength when organizations face violent competition from other non-state actors."<ref name=":0" />

Kidnapping has been identified as one source by which terrorist organizations have been known to obtain funding.<ref>{{cite web |author=Perri, Frank S. |author2=Lichtenwald, Terrance G. |author3=MacKenzie, Paula M. |year=2009 |title=Evil Twins: The Crime-Terror Nexus |url=https://www.all-about-psychology.com/support-files/crime-terror-nexus.pdf |work=Forensic Examiner |pages=16–29}}</ref>

[[Express kidnapping]] is a method of abduction used in some countries, mainly from [[Latin America]],<ref>{{cite news |author1=Garcia Jr |author2=Juan A. |title=Express kidnappings |url=https://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_12/issue_14/business_05.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070730214339/https://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_12/issue_14/business_05.html |archive-date=July 30, 2007 |access-date=December 7, 2006 |publisher=Thepanamanews.com}}</ref> where a small ransom, that a company or family can easily pay, is demanded. Express kidnapping is also used for an immediate ransom in which the victim is taken to an ATM and forced to give the captor money.

[[Tiger kidnapping]] occurs when a person is kidnapped, and the captor forces them to commit a crime such as robbery or murder. The victim is held [[hostage]] until the captor's demands are met. The term originates from the usually long preceding observation, like a tiger does when stalking prey. This is a method which has been used by the [[Real Irish Republican Army]] and the [[Continuity Irish Republican Army]].

[[Virtual kidnapping]] is a unique form of kidnapping that has risen in recent years. Unlike previous forms of kidnapping, virtual kidnapping does not actually involve a victim of any kind. The scam involves a process of calling numerous people on the phone and making them believe the caller has a victim's loved one, such as a child, in order to gain a quick ransom from the victim. Previously these calls used to affect Spanish speaking communities in large cities, such as Los Angeles or Houston. Until around 2015 when the calls started to be directed to English speakers as well. Around 80 victims were identified as falling for this scam, with losses ranging close to $100,000. While most perpetrators behind this scam can be linked back to Mexico, one instance occurred in Houston, Texas. Yanette Rodriguez Acosta was found guilty of accosting victims for large sums of money, which she would pick up at a set drop off of point.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2017 |title=Virtual Kidnapping: A New Twist on a Frightening Scam |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/virtual-kidnapping |access-date=October 13, 2024 |website=fbi.gov}}</ref> She was sentenced to seven years in prison, with an additional three years of supervision following her release.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-20 |title=Southern District of Texas {{!}} Texas Woman Sentenced in Virtual Kidnapping Extortion Scheme {{!}} United States Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/texas-woman-sentenced-virtual-kidnapping-extortion-scheme |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref>

In the past, and presently in some parts of the world (such as southern [[Sudan]]), kidnapping is a common means used to obtain [[Slavery|slaves]] and money through ransom. In the 19th century, kidnapping in the form of [[Shanghai (verb)|shanghaiing]] (or "[[Impressment|pressganging]]") men supplied merchant ships with [[sailor]]s, whom the law considered [[unfree labour]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shanghaiing - FoundSF |url=https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Shanghaiing#:~:text=As%20the%20demand%20for%20sailors,on%20outbound%20ships,%20became%20common. |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=www.foundsf.org}}</ref>

===Pirates===
Kidnapping on the high seas in connection with [[piracy]] has been increasing. It was reported that 661 crewmembers were taken hostage and 12 kidnapped in the first nine months of 2009.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 Oct 2009 |title=Unprecedented increase in Somali pirate activity |url=https://www.icc-ccs.org/news/376-unprecedented-increase-in-somali-pirate-activity |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216222747/https://icc-ccs.org/news/376-unprecedented-increase-in-somali-pirate-activity |archive-date=2010-12-16 |access-date=2011-01-09 |publisher=Commercial Crime Services}}</ref> The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre recorded that 141 crew members were taken hostage and 83 were kidnapped in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 16, 2019 |title=IMB piracy report 2018: attacks multiply in the Gulf of Guinea |url=https://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php/1259-imb-piracy-report-2018-attacks-multiply-in-the-gulf-of-guinea |publisher=Commercial Crime Services}}</ref>

=== Other ===
Other motivations behind kidnapping include the kidnap of a person for [[sexual assault]] purposes, or situations of domestic violence. For example, the ''2003 Domestic Violence Report in Colorado'' shows in most instances of domestic violence people, most typically white females, will be taken from their residence by a present or former spouse or significant other. Often they will be taken by force, not with a weapon, and victims will be freed without injury to their person.

[[Bride kidnapping]] is a term often applied loosely, to include any bride "abducted" against the will of her parents, even if she is willing to marry the "abductor". It still is traditional amongst certain [[nomad]]ic peoples of [[Central Asia]]. It has seen a resurgence in [[Kyrgyzstan]] since the fall of the [[Soviet Union]] and the subsequent erosion of women's rights.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/more4/documentaries/doc-feature.jsp?id=6&pageParam=2 |title=Bride Kidnapping - a Channel 4 documentary |publisher=Channel4.com}}</ref>

Kidnapping has sometimes been used by the family and friends of a [[cult]] member as a method to remove them from the cult and begin a [[deprogramming]] process to change their allegiance away from the group.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Object |first=object |title=Tort Liability for Cult Deprogramming: Peterson v. Sorlien |url=https://core.ac.uk/reader/159558980 |journal=CORE}}</ref>

Motivations for kidnapping cannot always be easily defined. During the 1990s and afterward, for example, the [[New York divorce coercion gang]] was involved in a sting of kidnappings. They would take Jewish husbands from their homes in New York and New Jersey and torture them in order for them to grant ''[[Get (divorce document)|gittin]],'' or religious divorces, to their wives. The gang is notorious for crimes of this nature. They were later apprehended for their crimes on October 9, 2013, in connection with a foiled kidnapping plot.<ref>Samaha, Albert; [https://www.villagevoice.com/news/bad-rabbi-tales-of-extortion-and-torture-depict-a-divorce-brokers-brutal-grip-on-the-orthodox-community-6440276 "Bad Rabbi: Tales of Extortion and Torture Depict a Divorce Broker's Brutal Grip on the Orthodox Community"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407224200/https://www.villagevoice.com/news/bad-rabbi-tales-of-extortion-and-torture-depict-a-divorce-brokers-brutal-grip-on-the-orthodox-community-6440276|date=April 7, 2016}}, Dec 4, 2013; ''Village Voice''</ref><ref>[https://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2015/three-orthodox-jewish-rabbis-convicted-of-conpsiracy-to-kidnap-jewish-husbands-in-order-to-force-them-to-consent-to-religious-divorces/ "Three Orthodox Jewish Rabbis Convicted of Conspiracy to Kidnap Jewish Husbands in Order to Force Them to Consent to Religious Divorces"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054219/https://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2015/three-orthodox-jewish-rabbis-convicted-of-conpsiracy-to-kidnap-jewish-husbands-in-order-to-force-them-to-consent-to-religious-divorces/|date=March 4, 2016}}, Apr 21, 2015; ''U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation''</ref>

==By jurisdiction==
Jurisdiction of kidnapping varies depending on the country, with each one having their own way of defining and prosecuting the crime. Some such countries with clearly defined laws on kidnapping include:

===Australia===
In Australia, kidnapping is a criminal offence, as defined by either the State Crimes Act or the Commonwealth Criminal Code. It is a serious indictable offence, and is punishable by up to 25 years' imprisonment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s86.html|title=CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 86 Kidnapping|website=www5.austlii.edu.au|access-date=2022-02-16|archive-date=2022-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404154225/http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s86.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Canada===
[[:wikibooks:Canadian Criminal Sentencing/Offences/Kidnapping and Unlawful Confinement|Kidnapping]] that does not result in a [[Murder (Canadian law)|homicide]] is a [[hybrid offence]] that comes with a maximum possible penalty of [[Life imprisonment in Canada|life imprisonment]] (18 months if tried summarily).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kidnapping and Unlawful Confinement (Offence) - Criminal Law Notebook |url=https://criminalnotebook.ca/index.php/Kidnapping_and_Unlawful_Confinement_(Offence) |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=criminalnotebook.ca}}</ref> A murder that results from kidnapping is classified as 1st-degree, with a sentence of life imprisonment that results from conviction (the mandatory penalty for [[murder under Canadian law]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Murder (Offence) - Criminal Law Notebook |url=https://criminalnotebook.ca/index.php/Murder_(Offence) |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=criminalnotebook.ca}}</ref>

=== Mexico ===
The General Law to Prevent and Punish Crimes of Kidnapping establishes a prison sentence of 20–40 years for an individual convicted of holding another person as a hostage. The prison term increases to 25–45 years if the kidnapping occurred with violence against the victims, and then increases to 25–50 years if the kidnapping was committed by members of [[Public security|public safety]]. If the kidnapping results in homicide, the prison sentence will be from 40 to 70 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mexico: New Anti-Kidnapping Law Promulgated |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2010-12-08/mexico-new-anti-kidnapping-law-promulgated/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref>

=== Pakistan ===
In [[Pakistan]], there are two kinds of kidnapping: Kidnapping from Pakistan and kidnapping from lawful guardianship. Penal Code 360 states that whoever conveys any person beyond the limits of Pakistan without the consent of that person or of some person legally authorized to consent on behalf of that person is said to kidnap that person from Pakistan. Penal Code 363 states that whoever kidnaps any person from Pakistan or lawful guardianship shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine. Kidnapping with a motive of murder, hurt, slavery, or to the lust of any person shall be punished with imprisonment for life with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to a fine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860) |url=https://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/1860/actXLVof1860.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=www.pakistani.org}}</ref>

===Netherlands===
Article 282 prohibits hostaging (and 'kidnapping' is a kind of 'hostaging').<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0001854/TweedeBoek/TitelXVIII/Artikel282/geldigheidsdatum_25-12-2012|title=wetten.nl - Regeling - Wetboek van Strafrecht - BWBR0001854|website=wetten.overheid.nl|language=nl|access-date=2016-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502115140/https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0001854/TweedeBoek/TitelXVIII/Artikel282/geldigheidsdatum_25-12-2012|archive-date=2015-05-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> Part 1 of Article 282 allows sentencing kidnappers to maximum imprisonment of eight years or a fine of the fifth category.<ref name="c5">€ 78,000</ref> Part 2 allows maximum imprisonment of nine years or a fine of the fifth category<ref name="c5" /> if there are serious injuries. Part 3 allows maximum imprisonment of 12 years or a fine of the fifth category<ref name="c5" /> if the victim has been killed. Part 4 allows sentencing people that collaborate with kidnapping (such as proposing or make available a location where the victim hostaged). Part 1, 2 and 3 will apply also to them.

===United Kingdom===
Kidnapping is an [[Common law offence|offence under the common law]] of [[England and Wales]]. Lord Brandon said in 1984 ''R v D'':<ref>The Law Reports. Lord Brandon: ''R v D'' [1984] AC 778, [1984] 3 WLR 186, [1984] 2 All ER 449, 79 Cr App R 313, [1984] Crim LR 558, [[House of Lords|HL]], reversing [1984] 2 WLR 112, [1984] 1 All ER 574, 78 Cr App R 219, [1984] Crim LR 103, [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|CA]]</ref>

{{blockquote|First, the nature of the offence is an attack on, and infringement of, the personal liberty of an individual. Secondly, the offence contains four ingredients as follows: (1) the taking or carrying away of one person by another; (2) by [[Force (law)|force]] or [[fraud]]; (3) without the consent of the person so taken or carried away; and (4) without [[lawful excuse]].<ref name="RvD">Lord Brandon: ''R v D'' [1984] AC 778 at 800, HL. The following cases are relevant: ''R v Reid'' [1973] QB 299, [1972] 3 [[Weekly Law Reports|WLR]] 395, [1972] 2 [[All England Law Reports|All ER]] 1350, 56 [[Criminal Appeal Reports|Cr App R]] 703, [1972] Crim LR 553, CA; [as well as:] ''R v Wellard'' [1978] 1 WLR 921, [1978] 3 All ER 161, 67 Cr App R 364, CA; [and:] ''R v Cort'' [2003] EWCA Crim 2149, [2003] 3 WLR 1300, [2004] 1 Cr App R 18, CA; [and:] ''R v Hendy-Freegard''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2007/1236.html |title=Hendy-Freegard v R [2007&#93; EWCA Crim 1236 (23 May 2007) |publisher=Bailii.org |access-date=2012-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Chris Johnston |url=https://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/reports/article1856903.ece |title=The Times |publisher=Business. timesonline.co.uk |access-date=2012-05-14 |quote=EWCA Crim 1236, [2007] 3 WLR 488.}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>}}

In all cases of kidnapping of children, where it is alleged that a child has been kidnapped, it is the absence of the consent of that child which is material. This is the case regardless of the age of the child. A very small child will not have the understanding or intelligence to consent. This means that absence of consent will be a necessary inference from the age of the child. It is a question of fact for the jury whether an older child has sufficient understanding and intelligence to consent.<ref name="R v D 1984 AC 778, HL">''R v D'' [1984] AC 778, HL</ref> Lord Brandon said: "I should not expect a jury to find at all frequently that a child under fourteen had sufficient understanding and intelligence to give its consent."<ref>''R v D'' [1984] AC 778 at 806, HL</ref> If the child (being capable of doing so) did consent to being taken or carried away, the fact that the person having custody or care and control of that child did not consent to that child being taken or carried away is immaterial. If, on the other hand, the child did not consent, the consent of the person having custody or care and control of the child may support a defence of lawful excuse.<ref name="R v D 1984 AC 778, HL"/> It is known as [[Gillick competence]].<ref>For the Charging child abduction and kidnapping in the same indictment see: ''R v C'' [1991] 2 FLR 252, [1991] Fam Law 522, CA.</ref>

Regarding restriction on prosecution, no prosecution may be instituted, except by or with the consent of the [[Director of Public Prosecutions]], for an offence of kidnapping if it was committed against a child under the age of sixteen and by a person connected with the child, within the meaning of section 1 of the [[Child Abduction Act 1984]].<ref>The [[Child Abduction Act 1984]], [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/37/section/5 section 5] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104185020/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/37/section/5 |date=January 4, 2016 }}</ref> Kidnapping is an [[indictable-only offence]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/kidnapping_false_imprisonment/ |title=Kidnapping - False Imprisonment:Offences against the Person: Sentencing Manual: Legal Guidance: The Crown Prosecution Service |publisher=Cps.gov.uk |date=2010-03-31 |access-date=2012-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112014642/https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/kidnapping_false_imprisonment/ |archive-date=2012-01-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Kidnapping is punishable with imprisonment or fine at the discretion of the court. There is no limit on the fine or the term of imprisonment that may be imposed provided the sentence is not inordinate.<ref>For background, see: ''R v Morris'' [1951] 1 KB 394, 34 Cr App R 210, CCA. (Also:)'' R v Spence and Thomas'', 5 [[Criminal Appeal Reports (Sentencing)|Cr App R (S)]] 413, [1984] Crim LR 372, CA. Further information: Crown Prosecution Service: {{cite web |url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/kidnapping_false_imprisonment/ |title=Kidnapping - False Imprisonment: Offences against the Person: Sentencing Manual: Legal Guidance: The Crown Prosecution Service |publisher=Cps.gov.uk |date=2011-06-24 |access-date=2012-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421181525/https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/kidnapping_false_imprisonment/ |archive-date=2012-04-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>For the CPS guidance, see: {{cite web|url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prosecuting_cases_of_child_abuse/index.html#kidnapping |title=Legal Guidance:The Crown Prosection Service: Prosecuting Cases of Child Abuse |publisher=Cps.gov.uk |access-date=2012-05-14}}</ref><ref>For Offences against the person, see: {{cite web |url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/offences_against_the_person/index.html#Other_Relevant_Offences |title=Offences against the Person: Legal Guidance: The Crown Prosecution Service |publisher=Cps.gov.uk |access-date=2012-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410073418/https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/offences_against_the_person/index.html#Other_Relevant_Offences |archive-date=2012-04-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A parent should only be prosecuted for kidnapping their own child "in exceptional cases, where the conduct of the parent concerned is so bad that an ordinary right-thinking person would immediately and without hesitation regard it as criminal in nature".<ref name="R v D 1984 AC 778, HL"/><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Times]] |title=The Law Explored: abduction and false imprisonment |url=https://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/columnists/article2316202.ece |author=Gary Slapper |date=23 August 2007 |location=London |access-date=2011-01-09 }}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===United States===
{{Main|Kidnapping in the United States}}
Law in the United States follows from English common law. Following the highly publicized 1932 [[Lindbergh kidnapping]], [[US Congress|Congress]] passed the [[Federal Kidnapping Act]], which authorized the [[FBI]] to investigate kidnapping at a time when the Bureau was expanding in size and authority. The fact that a kidnapped victim may have been taken across state lines brings the crime within the ambit of federal criminal law.

Most states recognize different types of kidnapping and punish according to such factors as the location, duration, method, manner and purpose of the offense.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=King |first1=M.J. |title=Kidnapping in Florida: Don't Move or You've Done It |journal=Stetson Law Review |date=1983 |volume=13 |page=197}}</ref> There are several deterrents to kidnapping in the United States of America. Among these are:

# The extreme logistical challenges involved in successfully exchanging the money for the return of the victim without being apprehended or surveilled.
# Harsh punishment. Convicted kidnappers face lengthy prison terms. If a victim is brought across state lines, federal charges can be laid as well.
# Good cooperation and information sharing between law enforcement agencies, and tools for spreading information to the public (such as the [[AMBER Alert]] system).

In 2009, [[Phoenix, Arizona]] reported over 300 cases of kidnapping, gaining it a reputation as America's kidnapping capital, as according to the ''[[Los Angeles Times]].'' Hundreds of kidnappings for ransom occurred in the city, as per the ''Times'', most of them having connections to Mexican drug and human trafficking as a way to pay off unpaid debts.<ref name="quinones1">{{cite news |last=Quinones |first=Sam |date=2009-02-12 |title=Phoenix, kidnap-for-ransom capital |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/latinamerica/la-na-drug-kidnappings12-2009feb12,0,544773.story |access-date=2012-01-20 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> These statistics would have made the city have the highest kidnapping rate of any U.S. city, and second in the world only to [[Mexico City]].<ref name="project.org">{{cite web |title=Project America: Crime: Crime Rates: Kidnapping |url=https://www.project.org/info.php?recordID=158 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327210711/http://www.project.org/info.php?recordID=158 |archive-date=2012-03-27 |access-date=2012-05-14 |publisher=Project.org}}</ref> However, an investigation and later audit by the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General found these statistics to be falsified. Only 59 federally reportable kidnappings occurred in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=Phoenix Kidnappings: Uncovering the Truth |url=https://www.abc15.com/generic/news/local_news/investigations/Phoenix-Kidnappings%3A-Uncovering-The-Truth |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413042019/https://www.abc15.com/generic/news/local_news/investigations/Phoenix-Kidnappings%3A-Uncovering-The-Truth |archive-date=2013-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Audit Division |url=https://www.justice.gov/oig/grants/2012/g6012006.pdf |title=Report GR-60-12-006 Review of the Phoenix Police Department's 2008 Kidnapping Statistic reported in Department of Justice Grant Applications |year=2012}}</ref> This is in comparison to the over 300 claimed kidnappings on grant applications. The falsified data can be attributed to a variety of issues within the southwestern United States as a whole, including misclassification by local police, lack of unified standards, a desire for Federal grants, or the [[Mexican drug war|Mexican Drug War]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Ross |first=Brian |date=2009-02-11 |title=Kidnapping Capital of the U.S.A. |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=6848672&page=2 |access-date=2013-02-05 |work=ABC News}}</ref>

==Statistics==
{|class = "wikitable sortable" style="float: right;"
|+ '''Global kidnapping hotspots'''
! &nbsp; !!1999<ref>
{{cite journal|author=Rachel Briggs|title=The Kidnapping Business|date=Nov 2001|journal=Guild of Security Controllers Newsletter|url=https://fpc.org.uk/articles/115|access-date=2011-01-10}}</ref> !! 2006<ref name=paxchristi>{{cite web|url=https://www.eisf.eu/resources/library/Kidnappingbooming.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720155709/https://www.eisf.eu/resources/library/Kidnappingbooming.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-20 |title=Kidnapping is a booming business |author=IKV [[Pax Christi]] |date=July 2008 |access-date=2011-01-10 }}</ref> !! 2014 <ref>{{cite book|title= RiskMap Report 2015 - Kidnap and extortion overview|publisher= controlrisks.com|url= https://www.controlrisks.com/webcasts/studio/flipping-book/RiskMap-Report-2015/files/assets/common/downloads/2014-12-02-RiskMap_2015_REPORT-spread.pdf|page= 122|access-date= 2015-01-30|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150131042413/https://www.controlrisks.com/webcasts/studio/flipping-book/RiskMap-Report-2015/files/assets/common/downloads/2014-12-02-RiskMap_2015_REPORT-spread.pdf|archive-date= 2015-01-31|url-status= dead}}</ref> !! 2018<ref name="dataunodc">{{cite web | url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/kidnapping | title=Kidnapping | website=dataUNODC }}</ref>
|-
| 1 || Pakistan || Pakistan || Pakistan || Pakistan
|-
| 2 ||Mexico || Iraq || India || England
|-
| 3  || Brazil || India || Mexico || Germany
|-
| 4 || Philippines|| South Africa || Iraq || Mexico
|-
| 5 || Venezuela || Brazil || Nigeria || Morocco
|-
| 6 || Ecuador || Mexico || Libya || Ecuador
|-
| 7 || Russia and CIS || Ecuador || Afghanistan || Brazil
|-
| 8 || Nigeria || Venezuela || Bangladesh || New Zealand
|-
| 9 || India || Colombia || Sudan || Australia
|-
| 10 || South Africa || Bangladesh || Lebanon || Netherlands
|}

===Countries with the highest rates===
[[File:Kidnappers arrested Rio.jpg|thumb|Arrested kidnappers in [[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]] lying on the ground|308x308px]]
In 2021, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that the United States was the country with most kidnappings, totaling 56,652.<ref>{{Cite web |title=dp-crime-violent-offences {{!}} dataUNODC |url=https://dataunodc.un.org/dp-crime-violent-offences |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=dataunodc.un.org}}</ref> This is in comparison to 2010, when they were ranked sixth in the world (by absolute numbers, not per capita) for kidnapping by ransom, according to available statistics (after Colombia, Italy, Lebanon, Peru, and the Philippines).<ref>{{cite news |date=14 May 2011 |title=Business Horizons |url=https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n3_v33/ai_9114855/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709154213/https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n3_v33/ai_9114855/ |archive-date=9 July 2012 |publisher=FindArticles.com}}</ref>

Kidnapping for ransom is a common occurrence in various parts of the world today. In 2018, the [[United Nations]] found Pakistan and England had the highest number of kidnappings while New Zealand had the highest rate among the 70 countries for which data is available.<ref name="dataunodc"/> As of 2007, that title belonged to [[Iraq]] with possibly 1,500 foreigners kidnapped.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncciraq.org/en/?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=17|title=(NCCI) &#124; NGO Coordination Committee for Iraq|website=www.ncciraq.org}}</ref> In 2004, it was [[Mexico]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1873798.html |title=Welcome to Mexico City the new kidnap capital of the World|work=[[The Independent|The Independent on Sunday]] |date=September 5, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070524120611/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1873798.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-05-24 |access-date=2012-01-20}}</ref> and in 2001, it was [[Colombia]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1410316.stm |title=Colombia: Kidnap capital of the world|work=BBC News |date=2001-06-27 |access-date=2012-01-20}}</ref> Reports suggest a world total of 12,500–25,500 per year with 3,600 per year in Colombia and 3,000 per year in Mexico around the year 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Facts about Kidnapping|url=https://www.freelegaladvicehelp.com/criminal-lawyer/kidnapping/Facts-About-Kidnapping.html|publisher=Free Legal Advice|access-date=2011-01-09|archive-date=2010-12-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215225226/http://freelegaladvicehelp.com/criminal-lawyer/kidnapping/Facts-About-Kidnapping.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> However, by 2016, the number of kidnappings in Colombia had declined to 205 and it continues to decline.<ref name="Military Personnel">{{cite web|url=https://www.mindefensa.gov.co/irj/go/km/docs/Mindefensa/Documentos/descargas/estudios%20sectoriales/info_estadistica/Logros_Sector_Defensa.pdf |title=Military Personnel – Logros de la Política Integral de Seguridad y Defensa para la Prosperidad |language=es |publisher=mindefensa.gov.co |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413195638/https://www.mindefensa.gov.co/irj/go/km/docs/Mindefensa/Documentos/descargas/estudios%20sectoriales/info_estadistica/Logros_Sector_Defensa.pdf |archive-date=2015-04-13 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38450688|title= Colombia kidnappings down 92% since 2000, police say|publisher = bbc.com|date = 28 December 2016}}</ref>

Mexican numbers are hard to confirm because of fears of police involvement in kidnapping.<ref>
{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexkidnap5-2008aug05,0,5466136.story|title=Mexican police linked to rising kidnappings|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=Aug 5, 2008|access-date=2011-01-10|first1=Marla|last1=Dickerson|first2=Cecilia|last2=Sanchez}}</ref> According to [[Pax Christi]], a [[Catholic peace traditions|Catholic peace movement]], "Kidnapping seems to flourish particularly in fragile states and conflict countries, as politically motivated militias, organized crime and the drugs mafia fill the vacuum left by government".<ref name="paxchristi" />

Since 2019, the risk of kidnapping has risen worldwide, as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. This increase is mostly seen in kidnappings for ransom. This factors from a variety of aspects, including socioeconomic disparities, insufficient resources, and flawed judicial systems. Another impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on kidnappers is the economic strain that it had put many families through. This pressured kidnappers to increase kidnappings as well as ransom demands. After 2022, the diminishing effects of COVID-19 have led many countries to welcome back in-person interactions, travel and tourism. The connection between increased tourism and kidnapping is reflected through the rise of global kidnapping rates from 2019 to 2021–2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dowding |first=Tony |date=February 20, 2023 |title=Kidnap and ransom risk on the rise |url=https://www.commercialriskonline.com/kidnap-and-ransom-risk-on-the-rise/ |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=Global Risk Manager}}</ref>

[[File:Kidnappings Per 100,000 Population.png|thumb|320x320px|The 10 countries with the highest kidnapping rates in 2023<ref>{{Cite web |last=Papadopoulos |first=Anna |date=2023-10-08 |title=Ranked: These Are the Countries with the Highest Kidnapping Rates, 2023 |url=https://ceoworld.biz/2023/10/08/ranked-these-are-the-countries-with-the-highest-kidnapping-rates-2023/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=CEOWORLD magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>]]

The highest recorded ransom demand in 2021 was $77.3 million, while in 2019, it was $28.7 million. Between those two years, the average global ransom demand increased 43%, while the median global ransom demand increased by 6%. In [[Sub-Saharan Africa]], regions such as [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo (DRC)]], [[Nigeria]], and [[South Africa]] are likely to maintain higher levels of kidnappings due to ongoing effects of religious extremist groups, recent genocides, and civil wars. While there is no hard evidence of which country had the most kidnappings in 2021, the American region (which includes Mexico) maintains its position as the region with the second highest kidnapping rates.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-14 |title=Kidnap for ransom in 2022 |url=https://www.controlrisks.com/our-thinking/insights/kidnap-for-ransom-in-2022 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=www.controlrisks.com |language=en}}</ref>

One notorious failed example of kidnap for ransom was the 1976 [[Chowchilla kidnapping|Chowchilla bus kidnapping]], in which 26 children were abducted with the intention of bringing in a $5 million ransom. The children and driver escaped from an underground van without the aid of law enforcement.<ref>{{cite web |date=1976-07-15 |title=Chowchilla kidnap, Crime Library website |url=https://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/chowchilla_kidnap/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403043518/https://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/chowchilla_kidnap/index.html |archive-date=2014-04-03 |access-date=2012-01-20 |publisher=Crimelibrary.com}}</ref> According to the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]], kidnapping makes up 2% of all reported violent crimes against juveniles.<ref name="project.org" />

===By country===
The annual number of recorded kidnappings [[per capita]] by country for the last available year, according to the [[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]], is shown in the table below.<ref name="f967">{{cite web | title=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, crime-violent-offences | url=https://dataunodc.un.org/crime-violent-offences | access-date=17 August 2024}}</ref> Each country's definition of kidnapping may differ, and the table does not include unreported kidnappings.

{{Sticky header}}{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header col1left" style="text-align:center;"
! Country !! Reported annual kidnappings<br>per 100,000<ref name="f967"/> !! Year
|-
| {{flaglist| Albania }} || 0.14 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Algeria }} || 0.49 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Andorra }} || 0.0 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| Antigua and Barbuda }} || 1.07 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Argentina }} || 0.12 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Armenia }} || 1.52 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| Australia }} || 1.94 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Austria }} || 0.1 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Azerbaijan }} || 0.09 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Bahamas }} || 1.71 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Bahrain }} || 0.0 || 2007
|-
| {{flaglist| Bangladesh }} || 0.78 || 2006
|-
| {{flaglist| Barbados }} || 2.13 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Belarus }} || 0.08 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| Belgium }} || 10.28 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Belize }} || 1.23 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Benin }} || 4.57 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Bermuda }} || 0.0 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Bhutan }} || 0.0 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| Bolivia }} || 0.22 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Bosnia and Herzegovina }} || 0.37 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Botswana }} || 0.09 || 2014
|-
| {{flaglist| Brazil }} || 2.06 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| Brunei }} || 0.0 || 2006
|-
| {{flaglist| Bulgaria }} || 1.22 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Burundi }} || 0.75 || 2014
|-
| {{flaglist| Cabo Verde }} || 2.45 || 2018
|-
| {{flaglist| Cameroon }} || 1.31 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| Canada }} || 9.69 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Chile }} || 3.29 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Colombia }} || 0.95 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Costa Rica }} || 0.42 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Croatia }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Cyprus }} || 0.48 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Czech Republic }} || 0.02 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Dominica }} || 8.25 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Dominican Republic }} || 0.93 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| East Timor }} || 0.32 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Ecuador }} || 6.92 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Egypt }} || 0.31 || 2011
|-
| {{flaglist| El Salvador }} || 0.05 || 2022
|-
| {{flagicon| England }} [[England]] and {{flagicon| Wales}} [[Wales]] || 11.59 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Estonia }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Eswatini }} || 4.53 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Finland }} || 0.04 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| France }} || 5.97 || 2016
|-
| {{flaglist| Georgia }} || 0.1 || 2010
|-
| {{flaglist| Germany }} || 5.87 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Ghana }} || 0.36 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Greece }} || 0.94 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Grenada }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Guatemala }} || 0.8 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Guinea }} || 0.26 || 2008
|-
| {{flaglist| Guinea-Bissau }} || 0.71 || 2016
|-
| {{flaglist| Guyana }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Haiti }} || 0.42 || 2018
|-
| {{flaglist| Honduras }} || 0.27 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Hong Kong }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Hungary }} || 0.07 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| India }} || 5.07 || 2013
|-
| {{flaglist| Indonesia }} || 0.53 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Iraq}} (Central) || 1.15 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Ireland }} || 1.81 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Israel }} || 7.31 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Italy }} || 0.24 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Jamaica }} || 0.67 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Japan }} || 0.31 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Jordan }} || 1.9 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Kazakhstan }} || 0.4 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Kenya }} || 0.11 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Kosovo }} || 0.6 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Kuwait }} || 12.81 || 2009
|-
| {{flaglist| Kyrgyzstan }} || 0.32 || 2018
|-
| {{flaglist| Latvia }} || 0.59 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Lebanon }} || 15.71 || 2015
|-
| {{flaglist| Lesotho }} || 3.09 || 2009
|-
| {{flaglist| Liechtenstein }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Lithuania }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Luxembourg }} || 8.03 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Macau }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Madagascar }} || 0.04 || 2015
|-
| {{flaglist| Maldives }} || 7.2 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Malta }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Mauritius }} || 1.77 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Mexico }} || 0.5 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Moldova }} || 1.43 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| Monaco }} || 2.7 || 2016
|-
| {{flaglist| Mongolia }} || 0.06 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Montenegro }} || 0.16 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Morocco }} || 1.7 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Myanmar }} || 0.02 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Namibia }} || 2.73 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Nepal }} || 0.07 || 2016
|-
| {{flaglist| Netherlands }} || 2.6 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| New Zealand }} || 7.95 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Nicaragua }} || 0.05 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| Nigeria }} || 0.33 || 2013
|-
| {{flaglist| North Macedonia }} || 0.33 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Northern Ireland }} || 8.27 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Oman }} || 0.11 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Pakistan }} || 11.81 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Palestine }} || 2.48 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Panama }} || 0.25 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Paraguay }} || 0.22 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Peru }} || 3.61 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Philippines }} || 0.14 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| Poland }} || 0.64 || 2015
|-
| {{flaglist| Portugal }} || 2.43 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Puerto Rico }} || 0.89 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| Qatar }} || 0.26 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Romania }} || 2.07 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Russia }} || 0.25 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| Rwanda }} || 0.19 || 2013
|-
| {{flaglist| Saint Kitts and Nevis }} || 4.2 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Saint Lucia }} || 8.34 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Saudi Arabia }} || 0.17 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| Scotland }} || 4.92 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Senegal }} || 0.01 || 2015
|-
| {{flaglist| Serbia }} || 0.15 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Singapore }} || 0.0 || 2011
|-
| {{flaglist| Slovakia }} || 0.82 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Slovenia }} || 0.05 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| South Africa }} || 9.63 || 2017
|-
| {{flaglist| South Korea }} || 0.09 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Spain }} || 0.2 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Sri Lanka }} || 0.98 || 2019
|-
| {{flaglist| St. Vincent and Grenadines }} || 0.96 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Sudan }} || 1.92 || 2008
|-
| {{flaglist| Switzerland }} || 0.05 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Syria }} || 0.11 || 2008
|-
| {{flaglist| São Tomé and Príncipe }} || 0.0 || 2011
|-
| {{flaglist| Tajikistan }} || 2.21 || 2011
|-
| {{flaglist| Tanzania }} || 0.0 || 2015
|-
| {{flaglist| Thailand }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Trinidad and Tobago }} || 1.33 || 2018
|-
| {{flaglist| Turkey }} || 42.19 || 2014
|-
| {{flaglist| Turkmenistan }} || 2.63 || 2004
|-
| {{flaglist| Uganda }} || 2.42 || 2016
|-
| {{flaglist| Ukraine }} || 0.82 || 2020
|-
| {{flaglist| United Arab Emirates }} || 2.63 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| United States of America }} || 15.5 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Uruguay }} || 0.38 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Uzbekistan }} || 0.16 || 2021
|-
| {{flaglist| Vatican City }} || 0.0 || 2022
|-
| {{flaglist| Venezuela }} || 0.66 || 2018
|-
| {{flaglist| Yemen }} || 0.17 || 2009
|-
| {{flaglist| Zimbabwe }} || 1.77 || 2008
|}

==See also==
{{div col}}
* {{lookfrom|Kidnapping of}}
* [[Child abduction]]
* [[Crime statistics]]
* [[Extraordinary rendition]]
* [[Fetal abduction]]
* [[Forced disappearance]]
* [[Hostage]]
* [[Human trafficking]]
* [[International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation]] (about mantrailing)
* [[Kidnap and ransom insurance]]
* [[Kidnappings in Colombia]]
* [[List of kidnappings]]
* [[Stockholm syndrome]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |first=Damien |last=Lewis |author2=Mende Nazer  |title=Slave: My True Story |publisher=PublicAffairs |location=New York |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_2a9lRg5ZCsC |isbn=1-58648-212-2 |oclc=54461588}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* [https://www.life.com/gallery/22813/snatched-notorious-kidnappings#index/0 "Snatched: Notorious Kidnappings"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214111706/https://www.life.com/gallery/22813/snatched-notorious-kidnappings#index/0 |date=2011-12-14 }}—slideshow by ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine
<!-- sp -->

{{Types of crime}}
{{English criminal law navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kidnapping| ]]
[[Category:Common law offences in England and Wales]]
[[Category:Crimes]]
[[Category:Organized crime activity]]
[[Category:Terrorism tactics]]
[[Category:Violent crime]]