Family fears kidnapping as police issue Amber Alert for boy missing in Limburg

Police in the Netherlands issued an Amber Alert on Thursday for Gino van der Straeten, a nine-year-old boy who has not been seen since visiting a playground in Kerkrade at about 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Police only use the Amber Alert when they believe someone’s life is in immediate danger, as opposed to a Missing Child Alert used in less threatening situations.

Family members in Kerkrade said they feared the worst for the boy from Maastricht, who was supposed to return to his sister’s home after playing football on the playground. “We think he was taken,” said one of his sisters, 21-year-old Naomi, in an interview 1Limburg. "He's never run away before. I don't see it as running away because he was playing with some other boys."

Another of the boy’s sisters, Kelly, aged 32, told the local broadcaster that family spent all night frantically searching for the child, finally calling it off at 5 a.m. "We also shouted during the time we searched for him. He shouldn't be far away." Kelly then spent two hours discussing the disappearance with police, ANP reported. She added in an emotional appeal to the public, “If you see a very sweet little boy, blond with blue eyes, please call the police. Please.”

Gino van der Straeten stands at 1.30 meters in height, and was last seen wearing a red Nike Jordan jacket with black sleeves and a red Nike hat. He was also wearing light colored jeans, and green shoes with white soles. He may have been carrying a black step scooter with red handles and red decals.

Police were looking for an adult who was at the playground with three other children at around 6:30 p.m. "They may know more about the boy's whereabouts," Dutch authorities said.

The missing boy lives with his mother in Maastricht, about 35 kilometers west of Kerkrade. Kelly said the boy spent the week with her because their mother fell ill, and his father does not have contact with the family. Because of their mother’s health issues, Kelly was soon going to become Gino’s legal guardian. She is a mother of two herself. The sisters do not believe the issue of guardianship is connected to the child’s disappearance.

Police said that they are considering several possibilities about the reason for his disappearance. A crime has not been ruled out in the case. Authorities were using a helicopter and drones in the hunt for young Gino. They also asked neighborhood residents to share security camera images with them.

People nearby were asked to join a large search of the area set to start at about 5 p.m. on Thursday. Family and friends spent much of the day distributing flyers with the boy’s photo and description.

German authorities were also aiding in the search. The Dutch town is a short distance north of Aachen, and the playground where Gino was last seen is just two kilometers from the German border town of Herzogenrath.