Alarming rise in child abduction cases

IRISH authorities dealt with more than one child abduction every week last year, figures released yesterday reveal.

Department of Justice statistics show there were 72 new cases of child abduction, involving 112 children, in 2002 - seven more cases than in 2001.

In all, the Department’s Central Authority for Child Abduction dealt with 93 cases in 2002, including an additional 21 cases that were carried over from 2001.