Kidnapping
Kidnapping is a criminal offense consisting of the unlawful taking and carrying away of a person by force or fraud and retention of a person against his will. The principal motives for kidnapping are to subject the victim to some form of involuntary bondage, to expose him for committing a criminal act against his principles , or to obtain ransom for his safe release. More recently, kidnapping for the purpose of blackmailing has become a tactic of political revolutionaries or terrorists seeking privilege from a government. In all countries it is considered a grave offense punishable by a long prison sentence or death. Taking young women by force and selling them for purposes of concubinage or prostitution has also been characterised as a form of kidnapping. In current statutes this is often described as abduction and usually includes the taking or retention of a girl under a specific age for purposes of marriage. In some countries the exclusion of a h...