According to police figures which would strike fear in the heart of any parent, approximately two children every month are either abducted or the victim of an attempted abduction in Scotland.
The statistics, which were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, indicate that between the years 2013 and 2014 a shocking 44 incidents of abduction or attempted abduction were recorded by officials.
The findings show that almost half of all cases which affected children under the age of 16 were carried out by a stranger while 12 were perpetrated by relative of the child and a further nine were the actions of an unrelated friend of the family.
According to The Scotsman newspaper, a number of children’s charities have insisted that these figures merely skirt the surface of the issue, with innumerable incidents going unreported.
Commenting on the findings, Vicky Mayes, a development and external communications liaison officer with Reunite - a charity which supports parents who fear their child may be at risk of abduction - asserts that the findings may be an inaccurate reflection of reality.
“Unfortunately, in terms of the stats, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more cases out there than those recognised in the eyes of the law in Scotland,” she asserted.
"Children who are removed from their family environment are likely to experience stress and upset. The best interests of children should be at the forefront of all our actions and we should do all we can to keep them safe and secure," said Alison Todd of Children 1st.
Eager to placate the fears of parents around the country, a police spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland is committed to protecting and keeping children safe within our communities."
"[We are] focusing on prevention and working in partnership with key stakeholders in the public, private and third sectors to continually improve child protection services, with a view to identifying those that may be at risk and take early and effective interventions to prevent crimes occurring."
Concluding the statement, Scottish Police said: "By delivering a multi-agency approach to these incidents, we are better placed to identify any threat, manage risk and prevent harm to the children in our communities."
