The police have urged parents to always be aware of their children’s whereabouts due to a rise in teenage kidnappings.
“Investigations reveal that minors weren’t missing, they went partying with friends and parents are aware of this,” captain Phillemon Khorombi said.
He said parents panic when they hear their teenager, who didn’t return home for a day or weekend, was last seen getting into a car.
“The parents will open a case of kidnapping but if someone goes willingly, that is not kidnapping,” said Khorombi.
A person is kidnapped when they are forcefully taken and are defenseless.
The victim may resist going with someone.
“If a person is taken without their will, that is kidnapping.
“Their right to freedom of movement is taken away from them and that is when parents can open a case of kidnapping,” Khorombi said.
He said a lot of kidnapping cases turn out to be a teenager not reporting to their parents on their whereabouts.
“Such cases take police from performing their duties and focusing on actual crimes like rape, murder or robbery.
“State resources that could have been used for real cases are being used on fake kidnapping cases,” Khorombi said.
He warned that people who open false cases under oath will have cases of perjury opened against them.
