Shenzhen woman sentenced for kidnapping 15 years ago

A Shenzhen court in Guangdong province sentenced a woman identified by her surname Zhang to 4 years and 10 months in prison on Tuesday for the 2008 kidnapping of a 4-year-old girl.

The Longgang District People's Court also ordered Zhang to pay 450,000 yuan ($62,000) in compensation to the victim's family. The victim, Cai Jialing, is now a high school student who was reunited with her biological family last year after a 15-year separation.

Court documents state that Cai was playing alone near her Shenzhen home on June 27, 2008, when Zhang approached her. Zhang lured Cai away with candy and took her to Guang'an, Sichuan province, where she raised the girl for the next 15 years.

A DNA match in March 2023 by Guangdong police led to Cai's identification and reunion with her biological parents. Cai's father recounted his daughter's difficult experiences during the kidnapping, including verbal abuse and a desire to escape.

According to Cai's father, Zhang attempted to manipulate the young girl on the last night in Guang'an, claiming her biological family had abandoned her. This instilled fear and insecurity in Cai, impacting her initial behavior upon returning home. However, after a conversation with her father about the family's search and the truth behind the kidnapping, Cai began to heal and develop a closer bond with her biological family.

Zhang has reportedly accepted the verdict. Cai's father, however, is considering further legal action with his lawyer.