Child Kidnapping Gains Momentum

Year 2021 seems to be ending in a negative manner for South Africa, as the kidnapping of school-going children is gaining momentum. This number is justifiably worrisome for all the relevant stakeholders - parents; teachers; government officials; and society at large. While these incidents seem to be occurring at schools/near schools, they may happen at any other establishment - private or public. Given the fact that the incidents are occurring at schools, it is therefore apposite that specific attention is given to the school context. The aforementioned stakeholders have a duty to prevent such incidents from occurring, and where they have failed to guard against a kidnapping incident, families may have legal recourse, depending on various circumstances surrounding the occurrence of that particular incident. Some parents may feel that engaging in a lengthy litigation process is a futile exercise; "opens up the wounds"; obfuscate the healing process (where a child ends