NCJ Number
205682
Date Published
March 2004
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes governments' responses to a questionnaire on the practice of kidnapping and its prevalence, as well as the legislative, law enforcement, victim support, and international cooperative initiatives undertaken in response to the problem.
Abstract
Seventy-one questionnaires were completed and returned, including some from organizations of the United Nations system. All responding countries reported that their domestic legal system had made kidnapping a criminal offense, sometimes defined as deprivation of liberty, the restriction of personal freedom, or false or wrongful imprisonment and/or abduction. All of these states indicated that kidnapping was regarded as a serious offense, carrying severe penalties. The types of or motives for kidnapping were reported to be extortion, debt collection, sexual exploitation, domestic or family disputes, political or ideological, as part of another crime, and feigned kidnapping. In just under half of the responding countries, incidents of kidnapping were regarded either as nonexistent, insignificant, unchanged, or on the decline. Respondents reported a variety of measures to counter kidnapping, including training for police and specialized police units, measures to prevent kidnappers from acquiring ransom money, and victim services. Building on the responses to the questionnaire, a meeting was convened to consult with experts about best practices in the fight against kidnapping, so as to assist in providing appropriate technical assistance to member states. This report presents an overview of best practices in the areas of legal responses, operational practices, and prevention strategies. 17 notes