Eight years since Amsterdam girl was kidnapped by her father; mother again asks for help

A new appeal was launched this weekend to again raise awareness about Insiya Hemani, who was violently abducted from her grandmother's home in Amsterdam-Oost exactly eight years ago. At the age of two, the girl was kidnapped in a scheme allegedly orchestrated by her father, Shehzad Hemani, after her mother, Nadia Rashid, had been granted custody rights when the couple split.

Since the kidnapping on September 29, 2016, Insiya Hemani is believed to have been kept full time in India where her father resides. In the Netherlands, Rashid continues to fight for Insiya's return.

In a video published on social media, the mother again pleaded for help from the Dutch public by signing a letter addressed to Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and his ministers of foreign affairs, and justice and security. “I'm not asking for the impossible. But I do ask for all that is possible,” she said.

The woman also addressed her missing daughter in the video, saying, “I hope you’re watching this. And I hope you feel every day how much you’re missed. Come home soon, sweetheart. Mommy is here for you.”

Insiya Hemani abduction and court convictions

Rashid has alleged that Hemani somewhat panicked when Rashid revealed the unplanned pregnancy to him, and that after Insiya was born, he did not participate in parenting her. Rashid filed for divorce in 2015, prompting Hemani to respond with vague threats of violence and a pledge to fight her for custody.

Despite reporting this to police, she said law enforcement never intervened. The harassment continued all the way up to the moment that a group of people allegedly hired by Hemani absconded with the little in the violent kidnapping in 2016.

Insiya’s abduction remains one of the most notorious kidnappings in recent Dutch history. The child was taken from her maternal grandmother’s home in the Watergraafsmeer neighborhood shortly after Rashid dropped the girl off with family members who agreed to babysit that morning.

“The father assembled a group of seven people specifically for this purpose,” the Amsterdam Court of Appeal stated in May in its verdict in the appeal in trial. Hemani was among several first convicted in the kidnapping by the District Court of Amsterdam. Hemani was not present at either hearing, though he was represented by attorneys. Hemani was ordered to serve eight and a half years in prison. His convicted accomplices received sentences of up to four years.

The court found that Insiya was forcibly taken by abductors, and handed over to Hemani, who drove her to Germany with co-conspirators Daniel C. and Erik S. They eventually transported her to India, where "she remains to this day," the court ruled.

Since then, Rashid has been prevented from having contact with the girl. She previously indicated that she has not been able to meet in person with Insiya since the abduction, and has only been able to have brief video calls with the girl which faced repeated interruptions.

“I want to see her play with other children, to know what foods she likes, and to laugh with her,” said Rashid. “But I can’t, because all the warning signs about her impending abduction were ignored. Every time I reported stalking, I wasn’t taken seriously. And now there’s only one real victim: Insiya.”

Rashid raises Insiya Hemani issue with politicians, Dutch royal family

The situation involving Insiya Hemani was also discussed during a state visit when then-President of India Ram Nath Kovind visited the Netherlands in April 2023. “The Dutch authorities have formally requested Insiya's return through diplomatic channels. Since India is not a signatory to The Hague Child Abduction Convention, it cannot be compelled to comply with its terms," said the foreign affairs minister at the time, Wopke Hoekstra.

"Additionally, India has not granted the extradition request for the father,” Hoekstra stated in response to questions from the Tweede Kamer in 2022. Additionally, Insiya’s mother spoke at length with Foreign Affairs Minister Bert Koenders while he was part of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's second Cabinet. An international arrest warrant was issued for Shehzad Hemani.

In her battle to bring Insiya back to the Netherlands, Nadia Rashid has also received support from the Dutch royal family. In April 2022, she met with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, which she described as meaningful. “The support I get, especially from the royal couple, gives me the strength to keep going,” Rashid shared on Goedemorgen Nederland last year.