Many residents of Virginia might think of kidnapping and abduction as being the same crime. However, while they are similar, there are differences between these two offenses. If you have been arrested and charged with one of these crimes, you should know how they differ.
What is kidnapping?
Kidnapping is one of the most serious felony offenses. It can be charged as a federal or state crime and requires a strong criminal defense strategy. Kidnapping is a crime that is committed when a person or persons take someone else without their consent and hold them in a certain space. Often, a person who commits kidnapping does so in order to acquire financial gain in the form of a ransom or to extort.
Parents who take their children without having legal custody can also be charged with kidnapping if they take their child without the custodial parent’s permission.
What is abduction?
Abduction is another serious felony crime. It is committed when a person takes another person against their will and keeps them somewhere while restrained and possibly gagged. However, unlike kidnapping, abduction doesn’t involve any type of ransom for financial gain. The purpose of the crime is to prevent the victim from returning home. Anyone who is arrested on charges of abduction requires a strong criminal defense strategy.
Some instances of abduction don’t involve direct force to take the victim. Often, the perpetrator might pretend to be a law enforcement officer or good Samaritan. For example, a person might tell a child that they have lost their puppy and need their help to find them, luring the child into going somewhere with them.
However, abduction usually involves a second crime. Often, there is some type of abuse involved in such cases. In the worst cases, the victim might end up dead and their remains discarded.
Kidnapping and abduction are serious crimes. If you’ve wrongfully been charged with one of these offenses, take no chances and fight back to protect your rights.