5-Year-Old Girl Rescued in Kenitra After 24-Hour Kidnapping Ordeal

Another kidnapping story that could have turned into a tragedy, were it not for the speed of the Kenitra police services. Accompanied by her mother, little Fatima-Zahra went to visit her father in Hay Salamet, a working-class neighborhood of Kenitra. She took advantage of the fact that her mother was busy to go play in the street with two of her cousins.

According to the mother’s statements, the three little girls would then have gone to the corner grocery store to buy candy with a stranger. But only the two little girls came back home alone. They said that after buying them the candy, the stranger left holding Fatima Zahra by the hand. The scene took place on Thursday around 6:30 p.m. A parking attendant also said he had seen the little girl on the man’s motorcycle, as described by the twin cousins of Fatima.

Alerted, the police services launched a large-scale sweep on Thursday which led to the arrest of the kidnapper early Friday morning, according to the police. This arrest was made possible thanks to the driver and passengers of a bus who recognized the little girl from the wanted notice photo.

The suspect was formally identified by one of Fatima’s cousins placed under medical supervision at the hospital. Her still shocked family is asking for more involvement from the Moroccan authorities to protect children.