Prevalence
Kidnapping statistics for U.S. adults continue to remain elusive, noting that the crime of kidnapping is not separately recorded by the Uniform Crime Report. In 2010, according to NCIC's Missing Person File, over 65,000 individuals were categorized as "person over the age of 21, not meeting the criteria for entry in any category who is missing and for whom there is a reasonable concern for his/her safety".
Contents
Parental kidnapping remains an issue; thousands of cases are registered every year. In 1976, the statistics of parental kidnapping in the United States stood at 60,000. By 1984, it was between 459,000 and 751,000. In 2010, the US Department of Justice reported 200,000 cases of parental kidnapping. These numbers included both domestic and international abductions.
In 1999, an estimated of 58,200 children were victims of non-parental abduction.
The federal government noted an estimated of 840,279 missing persons cases in 2001, about 50,000 were classified to be younger than 18. A small fraction of around 100 cases per year can be classified as a stereotypical abduction
According to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, referring to U.S. Department of Justice reports, about 800,000 persons are reported missing every year, making it above 2,000 missing persons a day. Around 5% of these are under the age of 18.
Law
According to 18 U.S.C. 1201, whoever illegally confines, decoys, kidnaps, abducts, seizes or takes away a person and holds for ransom or prize can be considered as crime.
In some instances, it cannot be considered as kidnapping if the person is:-
- willingly transported by the parent.
- taken by officers, employees as described in section 1114 as an officer or employee engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties for the United States Government.
- foreign official, an internationally protected person as defined in section 1116, it includes the Chief of State or the political equivalent, President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Ambassador, Foreign Minister, or other officer of Cabinet rank or above of a foreign government, among others.
Kidnapping of a person can be punished by imprisonment. If kidnapping resulted in the death of a person, it can be punished by execution or life imprisonment.