Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Colombia in shock over grisly baby murder

BOGOTA, Sept. 30 (Chinese media) -- A grisly case of father kidnapping his own baby in Colombia has caused public shock and outrage after the body of the kidnapped boy, only 11 months old, was found on Monday.

The baby's disappearance was reported last week. On Sunday, the child's father was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the kidnapping of his own son.

The father later confessed that he paid 250 U.S. dollars to a woman to kidnap the baby from his home in Chia in northern Bogota, so he did not have to pay the child support maintenance.

The woman, now in prison, has admitted the kidnapping. The two will face a jail sentence of up to 16 to 30 years. However, many people and legislators are demanding life imprisonment for them.

The gruesome murder has sparked strong public anger and dismay nationwide. A national moment of silence is planned for Wednesday in the child's memory.

Meanwhile, people in Chia were staging a demonstration to condemn the killing.

President of Colombia's Congress Hernan Andrade said he was considering resuming deliberations on life penalty for crimes against children.

"It will be necessary to approve the referendum of meting out life penalty for this and other crimes committed against children," Andrade said. The country abolished life penalty in the early 1900s.

"The society must take drastic and overwhelming measures to protect children," Colombian Communication Minister Maria Guerraesas said.

"It is inconceivable that a father abandoned his son and then kidnapped him. We must be united to denounce such kind of crimes and punish the perpetrators," the minister added.

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