Alexandr Gorobets: In Ukraine, hostages taken every day

It looks like taking hostages becomes a kind of fashion in Ukraine. Last week, law-enforcers managed to release a student, a businessman’s daughter. According to the investigation, the kidnapping was organized by the girl’s friend who was aware of the parents’ financial possibilities. Though, the kidnapper’s plan did not result in a success. Last Monday, 7-year-old Andrei, first-form boy from the city of Vinnitsa, was called by a girl during the break outside from the school. Since that time, nobody has seen him. The teacher who noticed the boy was absent asked her other pupils about him and immediately reported about Andrei’s disappearance to the director, because the boy is grandson of local administration’s head. Policemen in civilian clothes came to the school. Though all the searches had no result. At first the law-enforcers tried to keep the story secret, as well as the leader of the local administration, Yuri Ivanov. They thought the problem would be solved in some way. Hundreds of policemen were running back and forth in the city. Now it is known, the kidnappers demanded $ 50,000 for the boy. The necessary sum has been gathered already, while the kidnappers have not manifested yet. The boy’s relatives are alarmed with this waiting, for not long ago a similar story, which had a tragic final, took place in the city of Zhitomir, at a distance of about 100 km from Vinnitsa. Meanwhile, yesterday morning in Kharkov hospital, a nurse became a hostage. Law-enforcers managed to release her and to detain the criminals, though any details of the incident are not known yet. One thing is clear: Ukrainian legislation should be more strict towards such criminals.

Alexandr Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/26/35171.html

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