Missing Children SA says 1,300 cases of kidnapping are reported monthly
The organisation put a spotlight on kidnapping and missing persons following the recent disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith in Saldanha Bay.
Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
CAPE TOWN - Missing Children South Africa says more 1,300 cases of kidnapping are reported to police in the country every month.
The organisation put the spotlight on kidnapping and missing persons following the recent disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith in Saldanha Bay.
Joshlin has been missing for 15 days after disappearing from her family home in Middelpos on Monday the 19th February.
Missing children SA Coordinator Bianca Van Aswegen says the high kidnapping rate and the fact that South Africa has been declared a human trafficking hub, is a huge concern.
"South Africa is seen as a transit, export and import country for human trafficking victims. So this really scary that people are used within our country for human trafficking. People are taken out of our country and also brought into our country to be used for human trafficking."
Meanwhile, Western Cape Missing Persons Unit Founder Candice van der Rheede has some advice for parents of young children.
"Be vigilant, do not leave your children unattended, always know your children's whereabouts, always know what they are wearing, take a photo, and updated picture, a headshot of them, write down their height and their weight so that if God forbid something should happen they do have the information."
Van der Rheede also says it is vital that police are left to do their jobs without any interference during missing persons cases.