Child kidnapping sparks concerns in Algeria

30/05/2007

The kidnapping of Yacine Bouchelouh has raised awareness about the high number of child abductions in Algeria.

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 30/05/07

[Said Jameh] Posters calling for information about Yacine Bouchelouh are all over Algiers.

Algerians are concerned about the number of children abducted, and the kidnapping of Yacine Bouchelouh has captured the attention of parents throughout the country. Official statistics show the disappearance of 841 children since 2001, ranging in age from 4 to 16.

Recent abduction cases reported in the media have panicked Algerian families, particularly since last month, when Yacine Bouchelouh was abducted in front of his own home in the Bordj El Kiffan district of eastern Algiers. The police have been unable to solve the mystery of the missing child despite a massive search and investigation operation. Yacine’s story turned into a national issue after his parents stepped up their search and issued pleas to citizens and even the kidnappers.

Yacine’s mother has appeared twice on "Everything Is Possible", a television segment devoted to searching missing children, pleading with the kidnappers to release him and stressing she would give them anything they want.

The family also posted pictures of the abducted child in public squares, on major streets, at the entrance to shops, on the pages of most newspapers and on the official website of the Algerian police, in hopes of attaining any information.

Official figures for 2000 show on month with 28 kidnappings reported. In 2002, 117 children were kidnapped, 71 of them girls. The number of abductees rose to 168 children in 2004. Algerian police have already recorded 41 kidnappings of children during the first four months of this year.

Most missing children cases were reported in major cities, with the highest concentration in Algiers, Oran and Annaba.

Some Algerians attribute the trend of child abductions to criminal networks trafficking in human organs, while others feel the disappearances are sexually motivated.

In an effort to dispel hovering doubts about the appearance of networks trafficking human organs, security agencies denied the existence of such networks following Yacine’s abduction, noting that at present no organ trafficking operation had been recorded and the existence of such networks had not been discovered or reported.

Police officer Kheira Messaoudene, head of the Childhood Protection Office at the Police Directorate, said cases of missing children are not only attributable to kidnapping. Rather, there are children who resort to running away from their families for social reasons. She added that in "most cases" children are kidnapped to settle scores with the family and that often the kidnappers are family members. She speculated that Yacine might have been abducted by a family "out of curiosity".

Statements by security officials fail to assuage parents. Last year, 86 missing children were found dead.

Hayat, mother of a 9-year-old girl, told Magharebia she no longer lets her child go to school unaccompanied. She picks her up every day from school. Algiers resident Mouloud said that Yacine's case made him stop his only girl from playing in their building's courtyard.

In comments on local radio regarding the decline in public safety in recent years, former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia called for increased severity in sentencing convicted kidnappers, even including the death penalty. Algeria has historically reserved the death penalty for treason or other "violations of state security".