The psychology of infant kidnappings

TEARS ORGANISATION

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

"THE baby is not seen as a person, but as a solution something to fill a psychological void.

This is the weigh-in of TEARS general manager of operations, Celeste Louw, as recent headlines centred around the kidnapping of 9-day-old baby Mogamat Imaad Sharmar in Cape Town last week.

In two recent cases at Gauteng hospitals, newborns were abducted and in both cases the babies were safely recovered thanks to CCTV surveillance and security measures.

According to Louw, the mind of a kidnapper is complex, in which they are faced with a psychological void to resolve.

"The recent case of a newborn abducted from Bellville, Cape Town, has gripped the nation," she said.

"Thankfully, the baby was recovered safely, due to swift community vigilance and police intervention.