Parents and community urged to work together to curb child abductions

Advocacy manager for Women and Men Against Child Abuse Ngaa Murombedzi says under-reporting impacts child kidnappings.

In the past few weeks South Africans have been in a state of panic caused by child abduction and human trafficking shared on social media.

The minister of police has since urged citizens against the spreading of fake information on alleged human trafficking and kidnappings as fake news seems to be increasing in the country.

National co-ordinator for Missing Children South Africa, Bianca van Aswegen argued that child abduction has been on the rise for years in South Africa, warning parents to be more vigilant of their children.

It can happen to anybody, at any time, at any place so people need to be vigilant on what can happen and how to keep themselves safe regarding this.

Bianca van Aswegen, National co-ordinator - Missing Children South Africa

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Advocacy manager for rights organisation Women and Men Against Child Abuse Ngaa Murombedzi added that under-reporting has caused issues that have impacted heavily on kidnapping and missing children in the country.

When we have cases in our Boksburg and Alexandra clinics that are put as kidnapping or placed as children who are suspected to have ran away. These children for them to be documented there is a process to verify and validate where there were supposed to be, are they missing and there seems to be a glitch in that system.

Ngaa Murombedzi, Advocacy manager - Women and Men Against Child Abuse

Under reporting is an issue that heavily impacts issues like kidnapping and missing children.

Ngaa Murombedzi, Advocacy manager- Women and Men Against Child Abuse

Aswegen says there are different types of kidnappings and it is important to teach children at a young age on the dangers they may face.

We need to be smart and educate our kids from a young age on the dangers out there and we as parents and the community need to stand together to keep our children safe.

Bianca van Aswegen, National co-ordinator - Missing Children South Africa

Murombedzi says how you communicate and teach your child on ways to say they are in danger is very important as the cognitive development of a child can only allow them to comprehend a certain amount of information depending on the age.

Every age group from possibly the age of three, if a child can integrate into a schooling system like a crèche, your child can understand some form of how to be kept safe.

Ngaa Murombedzi, Advocacy manager - Women and Men Against Child Abuse

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