A teacher at the primary school where a 6-year-old girl was wrenched from her mother’s hands as she dropped her off has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping that stoked so much attention in South Africa.
She was kidnapped as she was dropped at school in the town of Vanderbijlpark on the morning of Sept. 2, according to local reports, and dragged off with enough force to leave her mother with a shoulder injury as she fought in vain.
The kidnappers had reportedly demanded a 2 million rand ($130,000) ransom.
The school said that rumors that the person was the 6-year-old’s own teacher were untrue.
One of the women was known to the girl’s parents, according to police, which appears to confirm claims by TimesLIVE, citing several sources, that the arrested teacher was a “very good” friend of the kidnapped girl’s mother.
After a desperate campaign to find the 6-year-old that flooded the media and social media, the South African Police Service reported on Sept. 3 that the 6-year-old had been found.
“It was the longest 19 hours of our lives. We are really glad she’s back with us.”
In contradiction to earlier reports, according to Horn, no ransom was paid.
Once the 6-year-old had been reunited with her parents, according to Horn, “the first thing she asked for was a burger and her brother.”
Her parents were traumatized and heartbroken, said Horn. “It’s going to be a long road of recovery for all of them.”
Her family members told the TimesLIVE that she hadn’t been hurt by the ordeal.
As news of her abduction spread, a massive campaign had flooded social media with pictures of the 6-year-old, as missing person organizations, the media, family, and school encouraged users to spread them online.
According to the official police statement, the kidnappers released her because they knew “that the net was closing in on them.”
The College Park Primary School, where she had been snatched outside the gates, wrote in an earlier statement: “Amy-Lee has been found. Thank you for everyone’s help and prayers. We serve a great and almighty God.”
Police said that they are satisfied that they had collared the three main people responsible for the kidnapping.