The U.S. government has approved a bill that encourages state authorities to launch an “AMBER Alert” for missing adults between the age of 18 and 64. If implemented, the Ashanti Alert – named after Ashanti Billie, a 19-year old student who was kidnapped and murdered in 2017 – will enable police to issue an alert for missing adults in life-threatening situations. The Ashanti Alert will be like an AMBER Alert.
In December, American President Donald Trump signed the bill that was designed after Ashanti’s murder. The young woman was kidnapped in the fall of 2017 and found dead two weeks later. Because of her age Ashanti did not meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert – which is only issued for children under the age of 18. As a result, an alert was not issued.
Also in 2017, a similar case occurred in the Netherlands: 25-year old Anne Faber was kidnapped and murdered. Just like Ashanti, Anne did not meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert because of her age. The case led to questions in the Dutch parliament. Some members of parliament suggested an AMBER Alert for (young) adults, which was supported by 87 percent of the Dutch population.
