Girl, 12, charged with kidnap in UK

A 12-year-old girl appeared in court today charged with kidnapping a five-year-old child.

The defendant, who cannot be named because of her age, is alleged to have taken the five-year-old girl from the Riverdale Shopping Centre in Lewisham, south-east London.

The younger girl became separated from her mother while they visited Poundstretcher on October 26, Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court, acting as a youth court, heard today.

She was then allegedly taken to a public swimming pool and a park – where she fell into a pond or a lake – before ending up dripping wet at a clothing shop.

Staff at the store alerted police and the girl was reunited with her mother shortly afterwards.

Tokes Adesuyan, prosecuting, said a 12-year-old girl was arrested at an address in south-east London on October 28.

Today, the defendant – who was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and hooded top and did not speak throughout the hearing – was refused bail.

Judge Shamoon Somjee placed her in the care of Greenwich Local Authority under a 24-hour curfew and instructed that she not be allowed home.

The girl is due to appear before the Youth Court on Monday.