NCJ Number
157607
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 12-17
Date Published
1995
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reports the findings of a study of 145 infant abductions, defined as "the taking of a child less than 1 year old by a nonfamily member."
Abstract
Since there is no centralized collection of data on infant abduction cases, relevant data were obtained from police reports, court documents, psychological profiles, and media accounts. A compilation of offender characteristics shows they are usually women, ranging in age from 14 to 48 years old; 63 offenders were white, 54 black, and 25 Hispanic. The typical abductor may not have a criminal record; if there is a criminal record, it consists of nonviolent offenses. The female offender is often motivated by the desire to present her partner with a baby; 10 of the women interviewed admitted they had faked pregnancy prior to the abduction. Some abductors spent a great deal of time planning their crime, but others acted on impulse. Traditionally, the hospital setting has been the primary target for infant abductions. Bolder abductors try locations outside the hospital. Such settings include doctors' offices, day-care centers, and homes. Abductors typically choose to take the infants during normal business hours. Abductions are most often perpetrated between May and November. One of the primary investigative strategies in such cases is to use the media to enlist the community in identifying the abducted infant and the offender. There is no case in which media publicity resulted in the offender's inflicting harm on the infant. 8 notes