Suspected Kidnapping as Child and Caretaker Disappear in Johannesburg

Help is sought in finding a missing 13-month-old child and his carer, who went missing in Alberton, South Africa, on Wednesday morning, 2 May 2018… in what is suspected to be a kidnapping incident. UPDATE 5 May 2018: Kidnapped child Eden Laird has been found unharmed in Brackendowns, South Africa. Suspects arrested.

According to the Pink Ladies organisation, which issued a missing child alert, Eden Laird and the family’s domestic worker left his Brackendowns home in Ekurhuleni at 08h45 to go for a walk… and never returned. Every parent’s nightmare.

Eden was tied on his caretaker’s back with a light blue blanket.

“He was wearing a grey track suit pants with pumpkins on the bottom, top is a vest with Granny Sunshine written on it. He has a grey and navy stripped jersey, navy & white socks with sail boats on them,” said Pink Ladies.

South Africans are being urged to share the missing post in the hope that “somewhere, someone just might see and know something to help find this precious baby”.

According to unconfirmed reports, kidnappers have been in touch and issued a demand for a large sum of money – rumoured to be R6 million – in exchange for returning little Eden safely.

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini told EWN: “At this stage, we don’t know what the motive for the kidnapping is but we’re following several leads to find the victims.”

The police have reportedly filed two missing person’s reports. So far no details have been released about the nanny – no photo or name has been provided. Pink Ladies said: “We are awaiting SAPS’ instruction re the nanny. As yet, police and investigators have not authorised the release of this info. We cannot act without it.”

A current wave of kidnappings – usually of wealthy business owners – has been sweeping South Africa.

In this week’s episode of Carte Blanche, the current affairs show investigated what it calls the “latest money-making operation for brutal, organised crime syndicates who demand multi-million rand ransoms”. (If you live abroad, you can subscribe to watch it here.)

The current affairs show said that while it appears highly organized syndicates are behind the big ransom kidnappings, there are also smaller or amateur groups carrying out “copy-cat” kidnappings.

If you have any information please contact SAPS Brackendowns Germiston Fcs unit Io Const Malepe cell 082 358 8369 or standby no 082 771 6328/ Pink Ladies org 072 214 7439/ 083 378 4882

UPDATE 5 May 2018: Kidnapped child Eden Laird has been found unharmed in Brackendowns, South Africa. Suspects arrested.