Fewer kids abducted in Netherlands

For the first time in four years, the number of children abducted in the Netherlands decreased last year. In 2018 a total of 221 child abductions were reported to the Center for International Child Abduction, compared to 288 the year before, NOS reports.

The number of threatened abductions also decreased, from 488 in 2017 to 287 last year. The center mainly attributes this to preventive mediation in families and more intensive checks.

In over two thirds of child abduction cases, the mother is the perpetrator, figures from the Center show. More than half of the abducted kids are 5 years old or younger.

Most of the children abducted from the Netherlands are taken to Germany, Poland and Belgium, according to the Center. Abducted children brought to the Netherlands are mainly taken from Belgium, the United Kingdom and France.

The most recent case of children being abducted by a parent and taken to another country, involve the Ahmad family from The Hague. 2-year-old Tala, 3-year-old Sharifa, 5-year-old Berivan, and 7-year-old Hain Ahmad were abducted by their father and taken to Syria in June, the police announced last week.

Another such case is that of Insiya Hemani. The then 2-year-old girl was taken from her grandmother's Amsterdam apartment in September 2016. She was taken to India by her father, and is still living with him there. The court in Amsterdam recently sentenced six people to up to four years in prison for their involvement in the now 5-year-old girl's abduction.