Police suspect kidnapping in Barneveld missing child case

The police said on Monday that they believe a case involving a missing child in Barneveld was actually a kidnapping. The child was taken from a home on Columbusstraat in the Gelderland town during the overnight hours between Friday and Saturday.

The child was reunited with their parents very early on Saturday morning, police said. Soon after, the incident was reported to police. Later on Saturday, the police said the case involved a girl, but on Monday the police only referred to the victim as a "child" without specifying the gender.

The police arrested three people on Saturday as part of the investigation. They include a 53-year-old man from Amersfoort and two 54-year-old men from Barneveld. The Amersfoort man was still in custody on Monday, and was expected to be brought before an examining magistrate on Tuesday for an initial hearing where his detention may be extended by up to two weeks.

The police would not say anything further about his role in the kidnapping. They also would not clarify whether he has a connection to the child's parents. The two Barneveld men remain suspects in the investigation.

It is not clear what exactly happened on Columbusstraat in Barneveld. The police are looking for camera footage from the neighborhood, and dashcam footage from vehicles in the vicinity.

According to the police, the incident has had a great impact on area residents. The local community police officer and special investigation officers from the municipality were present in the area.

he police also received a report last weekend of a case of vandalism involving a home on Columbusstraat. "At this stage of the investigation, it is too early to draw conclusions about whether these incidents are related," the police reported.