Kidnapped abroad
Discussion
First one of these asking for the Pistonheads communal assistance, first with information if anyone has helpline numbers or contacts that might help or knowledge of how to get things reported and moving from a legal perspective.
The Story:
Seems the cousin of my girlfriend has been going out with a Pakistani man for several months, (positives for the outcome that they seemed quite serious, have met her family and they have a mobile number for him) and she decided to join him on a holiday trip back to meet his family. I wasn’t involved at this stage though I’m sure warning bells should have been going off when a twenty something fairly naive blond white girl wants to go to Pakistan at the moment, but after a call to say she had arrived she has not been heard of for a week.
Calls to the boyfriend turn up different stories (they got married, she was put on a plane home and he is staying on for a while so she is on her way and he hasn’t heard anything, she is staying with friends of his in Dubai and they don’t have a phone etc.) all of which I am getting third hand but it doesn’t sound good. She was due back but is now three days overdue and the parents can’t get in touch with her and are getting nothing from her supposed new husband.
Obviously family getting worried that she has been sold into sex slavery or something though I suspect the reality might be more along the forced or agreed (they were engaged I’m told though what girl gets married and doesn’t at least call their parents) marriage and then her new husband is expecting her to do as she is told and removing her access to phones etc.
So distraught family that I have a minor attachment to though obviously I want to help and they don’t seem to be making any headway with the authorities though they have called the police in the UK they haven’t been seen to be doing anything about it. Suspect it can’t be too hard to see if she is still in Pakistan from her visa information though maybe the local consulate there would be the ones holding that information. Have started looking online at some of the forced marriage websites and found a police contact that seems to specialize with these forms of Kidnap etc. who may able to give direction and passed that onto the father along with the hotline number for the community liaison unit at the commonwealth office.
Anyone have any ideas, hotlines, links to websites, contacts in Pakistan or been through anything similar that might help? Ideally they would like to know where she is first (presume Pakistan from what I have heard but maybe she did get a flight back and got lost/distracted/kidnapped somewhere on a stopover or in the uk). Does she have to be missing for longer than three days before anyone would take it seriously, unlikely but she could have ended up in jail for something minor, hospital, or just drunk and out of it somewhere if her return flight came through Amsterdam or similar. She has only ever been abroad once to the canary islands so not really a well traveled person.
The Story:
Seems the cousin of my girlfriend has been going out with a Pakistani man for several months, (positives for the outcome that they seemed quite serious, have met her family and they have a mobile number for him) and she decided to join him on a holiday trip back to meet his family. I wasn’t involved at this stage though I’m sure warning bells should have been going off when a twenty something fairly naive blond white girl wants to go to Pakistan at the moment, but after a call to say she had arrived she has not been heard of for a week.
Calls to the boyfriend turn up different stories (they got married, she was put on a plane home and he is staying on for a while so she is on her way and he hasn’t heard anything, she is staying with friends of his in Dubai and they don’t have a phone etc.) all of which I am getting third hand but it doesn’t sound good. She was due back but is now three days overdue and the parents can’t get in touch with her and are getting nothing from her supposed new husband.
Obviously family getting worried that she has been sold into sex slavery or something though I suspect the reality might be more along the forced or agreed (they were engaged I’m told though what girl gets married and doesn’t at least call their parents) marriage and then her new husband is expecting her to do as she is told and removing her access to phones etc.
So distraught family that I have a minor attachment to though obviously I want to help and they don’t seem to be making any headway with the authorities though they have called the police in the UK they haven’t been seen to be doing anything about it. Suspect it can’t be too hard to see if she is still in Pakistan from her visa information though maybe the local consulate there would be the ones holding that information. Have started looking online at some of the forced marriage websites and found a police contact that seems to specialize with these forms of Kidnap etc. who may able to give direction and passed that onto the father along with the hotline number for the community liaison unit at the commonwealth office.
Anyone have any ideas, hotlines, links to websites, contacts in Pakistan or been through anything similar that might help? Ideally they would like to know where she is first (presume Pakistan from what I have heard but maybe she did get a flight back and got lost/distracted/kidnapped somewhere on a stopover or in the uk). Does she have to be missing for longer than three days before anyone would take it seriously, unlikely but she could have ended up in jail for something minor, hospital, or just drunk and out of it somewhere if her return flight came through Amsterdam or similar. She has only ever been abroad once to the canary islands so not really a well traveled person.
Edited by Crusoe on Monday 14th June 09:50
Hearing most of this third hand so not sure on the back story but does sound like he had his own flat in the uk and was expected to return (could be rented but at least some traceability through banks etc.) but not sure if he was a uk citizen. Given the family some hope that he was going out with her for almost a year and they have met him etc. so a bit long for some sort of kidnap con to sell her you would think. Suspect she may have wanted to marry him but maybe didn't know the implications of obeying her husband if it did happen, also possible his family didn’t approve and they have done something to keep them apart.
One of my many brother in laws, went out to Dubai on business as we frequently do. Nobody heard from him for a few days, then it transpired he was in jail. Took a few days before the British Embassy found out. Not for one minute saying this is the case, but based on my experience they aren't always instantly up to speed. Hope it all turns out okay
camp freddie said:
One of my many brother in laws, went out to Dubai on business as we frequently do. Nobody heard from him for a few days, then it transpired he was in jail. Took a few days before the British Embassy found out. Not for one minute saying this is the case, but based on my experience they aren't always instantly up to speed. Hope it all turns out okay
Good news is she is back, just had a text to say she has been stuck in Dubai for three days (in tears on the phone to her angry parents and don't think they know the story yet) but expected back in the uk later today. Sounds like she has had a brush with the law as above, though they don't know what she was doing in Dubai on her own in the first place. At least she has been in touch and hopefully will be home soon. Thanks for the help in here, always good to know there is a wealth of knowledge you can tap out there :-)Edited by Crusoe on Monday 14th June 10:27
The Dubai thing, its easy. IIRC the last time i went to Pakistan the plane stopped in Dubhai for 12 hours, i used that time to go sightseeing and general dossing. I nearly missed the flight and had a slight disagreement with the law. Nothing came out of it but it is easily done.
But please do conclude what had happened.
But please do conclude what had happened.
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