flyingpig

After being abducted to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai for three months, a 16-year-old girl was returned to her parents in north China on May 22, 2009. The clue to finding her came from a private website.


"Her parents asked for help on our website, and we sent the information, including a mobile phone number the human trafficker left them, to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Then the police arrested the suspects, freed the girl and sent her home," said Zhang Baoyan, 47, head of the Baobeihuijia website, which means "baby back home."


The website based in Tonghua City in northeast China's Jilin Province, has united more than 10,000 volunteers, mostly parents of missing children, to search, collect and check information. Since it was founded in 2007, Baobeihuijia has helped in the recovery of 36 abducted children.


"During the process of finding children, every family has lots of information and clues which might be useful to other families. But it is never really shared between them because of lack of communication. Thus, a nationwide platform is necessary in the fight against abduction," Zhang Baoyan said. "That is why I built the website."


On it, parents usually post photos of their children, describe their heights and clothes, and express their gratitude to the volunteers.


"After finding missing children, we usually ask them whether it snows in their hometowns, what plants and animals they have seen, what dialects they speak. Then we match these clues with parents who post information on the website."


Zhang's successes come with risks. He and other groups are often threatened.


"Some volunteers were exposed to criminals while trying to get clues or reminding parents of being cautious," Zhang said. "We must try our best to protect the volunteers from threats to their lives."


Lack of money is another problem. Zhang uses her three computers to run the website, where volunteers and parents can register for free.


"My husband Qin Yanyou is a professor and I work full time running the website with his income," Zhang said.
"We received donations of about 10,000 yuan and spent it helping the freed children go to school or see doctors," Zhang said, "Now I want to build a foundation to be able to reward those who report useful clues."


Zhang and other eight volunteers were invited to Beijing in April by the MPS(Ministry of Public Security) to discuss anti-abduction work with top police officials.


Based on the public's urging and Zhang's suggestion, the MPS has set up a DNA database. The ministry aims to link all the country's 236 DNA laboratories so that they can share information about missing children by the end of May.


The database will also include DNA from the parents of abducted children and samples will be taken from children who are suspected of having been abducted or vagrant children with an unclear history.

Updated: Zhang Baoyan was awarded " 2009 China Top Ten Celebrity of Legal System"

netawhile

Locating and returning abducted children is usually met with resistance, certainly by the abductors, but also by authorities.  I have heard of cases where the abductors are high up in the community - above the law.  Police may make a light-handed investigation with no real intent of disturbing the abductors because of gang connections and payoffs that happen behind closed doors.  The criminals are funded by money from drugs or even investors.  It takes a strong and persistent effort to fight through the corruption.  The website that helps to tie tidbits of data together help to make a stronger case to accuse the abductor beyond a doubt.  Thanks to the efforts of volunteers to support the process of reuniting families with their lost children.   Hopefully they can follow the trail quickly before it becomes too difficult, or before the children are adversely affected by the life of slavery they are subjected to.