NEW Zealand police yesterday rescued a five-year-old girl who was abducted from the pavement outside her home earlier this week.
Detective Inspector Steve Wood said the ethnic Chinese girl, Cina Ma, nicknamed Xin Xin by her family, was found hidden inside a cupboard in a house just a few streets from the family home in the northern city of Auckland, where she was kidnapped
on Monday.
"Xin Xin is now safe and back in the care of her family," Mr Wood said. He did not explain how police had found her.
A 25-year-old Chinese citizen was arrested and charged with assault, Mr Wood said. "Further, more serious charges" are expected to be filed shortly, he added. He did not provide details.
The abduction occurred just two weeks after about 10,000 Asian New Zealanders protested against rising violence against their community in Auckland, the country's largest city and the home of most ethnic Asians.
"I hope the return of Xin Xin sends out a clear message that the New Zealand police will not tolerate offences such as this," Mr Wood said.
Police had appealed for help from the public in their search for the girl, but otherwise remained tight-lipped over progress in the kidnap investigation throughout most of the week.
Mr Wood said releasing information could have compromised Xin Xin's safety.
The girl was riding her bike on the pavement outside her home when a masked man pushed her into a car and sped off.
Only Xin Xin's eight-year-old cousin witnessed the abduction.
Last year, a three-year-old ethnic Chinese girl from Auckland was abandoned by her father in an Australian train station.
The father, Nai Yin Xue, 53, then flew to the United States where he was arrested several months later.
He was sent back to New Zealand to face charges over the death of his 27-year-old wife, Anan Liu.
Her body was found in the boot of the family car in Auckland days after Xue fled. Xue, a martial arts expert, is awaiting trial.
The full article contains 352 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
