Kidnapper redirects here. For the song by American band Blondie, see Kidnapper (song).

Kidnapping, a word derived from kid = 'child' and nap(nab) = 'snatch', recorded since 1673, originally meant stealing children for use as servants or laborers in the American colonies.

Definition

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It has come to mean any illegal capture or detention of persons against their will, regardless of age, as for ransom; since 1768 the term abduction was also used in this sense. Another case is when two countries are at war: enemy soldiers may be captured in another country and detained as prisoners of war under the law of the capturer's state, and suspected war criminals and those suspected of genocide or crimes against humanity may be arrested.

• Although the victims are usually called hostages, this term also applies to legal hostage-taking, commonly practiced by governments in the past.

Scope of application in the United States

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In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or asportation of a person against the person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority. This is often done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime. A majority of jurisdictions in the United States retain the "asportation" element for kidnapping, where the victim must be confined in a bounded area against their will and moved. Any amount of movement will suffice for the requirement, even if it is moving the abductee to a house next door. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, however, the asportation element has been abolished. Note that under early English common law, the asportation element required that the victim be moved outside the realm of England or overseas in order for an abduction to be considered "kidnapping."

Kidnapping for ransom is almost nonexistent in the United States today, due in great part to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's aggressive stance toward kidnapping. The Bureau made kidnap for ransom a special priority, and continues to do so today. It pursues kidnap cases ferociously, as FBI agents who have rescued kidnap victims have been known to describe the rescue as a personal high point of a career.

More on [ Kidnapping ]

kidnapping - Google News

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Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:01:03 -0000
BBC NewsShannon mum faces kidnapping chargeAFP - 9 hours agoBoth defendants pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice charges. No plea was entered for the ...Mother of missing British girl charged with kidnap International Herald TribuneShannon Matthews' mother charged with her kidnapping guardian.co.ukShannon Matthews' mother pleads not guilty Reuters UKInTheNews.co.uk - Mail on Sundayall 340 news articles
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Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:25:25 -0000
Drowned man involved in '06 kidnapping caseArizona Republic, AZ - 14 hours agoThe daughter was reported missing by her mother later that evening, and Doll lied to Scottsdale police, saying McDonald had kidnapped her, police said. ...
Teen Gets 44 Years For Kidnapping, Torture - WLWT
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:01:18 -0000
Teen Gets 44 Years For Kidnapping, TortureWLWT, OH - 2 hours agoHAMILTON, Ohio -- A judge sentenced a teenager to 44 years in prison Friday for the kidnapping and torturing of a disabled high school student. ...Teen receives 44-year prison term for beating disabled woman Oxford Pressall 8 news articles
Man linked to San Marino disappearances charged with kidnapping ... - Los Angeles Times
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:22:00 -0000
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Man booked on Orchard Mesa, accused of kidnapping ex-girlfriend - Grand Junction Sentinel
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:20:01 -0000
Man booked on Orchard Mesa, accused of kidnapping ex-girlfriendGrand Junction Sentinel, CO - 5 hours agoBy MIKE WIGGINS COOK Come work with us at the Pinon Grill! We have an interesting menu and ....(more) DERMATOLOGY OFFICE MANAGER Manager for an established ...
Teen speaks out after attempted kidnapping - Providence Eyewitness News
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:36:48 -0000
Providence JournalTeen speaks out after attempted kidnappingProvidence Eyewitness News, RI - 8 hours agoNORTH KINGSTOWN, RI (WPRI) - A North Kingstown teen spoke only to Eyewitness News after saying someone tried to kidnap her. Police say the 15-year-old girl ...Rapist nabbed in attempted kidnapping MyFOX Providence WNACall 9 news articles

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