In Libya for 18 years: Dutch woman kidnapped as a small child found

Almost two decades ago, a man allegedly killed his ex-partner and fled to his homeland of Libya with their daughter.

In Libya for 18 years: Dutch woman kidnapped as a small child found

Almost two decades ago, a man allegedly killed his ex-partner and fled to his homeland of Libya with their daughter. The now 21-year-old is found through the use of a retired police officer. However, she does not want any contact with her family in the Netherlands.

A Dutch woman who was kidnapped 18 years ago by her father as a three-year-old girl to Libya has been tracked down there thanks to the efforts of a retired police investigator. However, the 21-year-old woman no longer wants any contact with relatives in the Netherlands, the ex-policeman, who was supported by a colleague, reported to the RTV Oost broadcaster.

The father is said to have killed his ex-partner and then fled head over heels to his home country with their daughter. The little girl's grandparents hadn't given up hope of a sign of life since then. In their free time, the two police officers had tried to track down the girl. According to the report, this finally succeeded through a middleman in Libya, who was able to meet the young woman after a phone call to her father in the capital Tripoli.

Since Libya has no extradition agreement with the Netherlands, the father, who is still wanted, has not yet been brought to justice there. Because Libya still uses the death penalty, the Netherlands did not seek to have the father prosecuted by his home country's judiciary, the report said.