I find it a sad state of affairs that nowadays when a child goes missing I always find myself looking at and doubting the parents and close relatives. I don't know why because if god forbid the tables were turned and it was me in that situation I would dread to think that some people may think I had anything to do with my childs disappearance. BUT its a sad fact that nowadays family and close family are becoming increasingly implicated in missing child cases.
Its just a matter of statistics -
Number of children age 2 14 killed in car accidents, as passengers: 1300
Number of children killed each year by family members and acquaintances: About 1000
Number of children abducted in stereotypical kidnappings (kidnapped by a stranger for ransom or for sexual purposes and/or transported away) in 1999, the most recent year for which we have statistics: 115.
Number of those children killed by their abductor: About 50.
Murders of children by abductors constitute less than one half of 1% of all murders in America.
Stranger Danger?
Of all children under age 5 murdered from 1976-2005
31% were killed by fathers
29% were killed by mothers
23% were killed by male acquaintances
7% were killed by other relatives
3% were killed by strangers