On Monday, February 26th, the Dutch police issued a national AMBER Alert for a 6-month-old girl from Eersel, the Netherlands. The child, who was placed in foster care, was violently taken by her biological parents. Because police feared they had crossed the border, the alert was also shared with police and citizens in Belgium and Germany. A vigilant citizen saw the AMBER Alert, which led to the quick recovery of the girl in a German town near the Netherlands. The baby was found in good health.

“Thanks to AMBER Alert and that one vigilant citizen, we were able to successfully bring the girl to safety and arrest her biological parents,” says police spokesperson Jordi Cebrian.

“Without the crucial tip we received after the issuance of the AMBER Alert, we would probably still be looking for the girl”, according to Cebrian. “We are truly amazed by the amount of attention the alert received on social networks as well as in the media. According to the chief investigator the AMBER Alert played a decisive role in bringing back the girl.”

On Monday morning, the 6-month-old baby was forcefully taken from her foster mother on the parking lot of a local supermarket by her biological parents. They fled the scene in a dark coloured Mercedes.

Cebrian: “Because all of our attempts to reach or find the parents were without result and we feared for the child’s safety, we decided to issue a national AMBER Alert.”

The Dutch police suspected that the parents had crossed the border with the child. Therefore, AMBER Alert Europe’s Police Expert Network on Missing Children and all AMBER Alert partners in Belgium and Germany were immediately informed about the case.

The AMBER Alert led to dozens of valuable tips. One of these tips ultimately led to the baby’s retrieval in a German vacation resort in Bad Bentheim near the Dutch border. A citizen, who saw the AMBER Alert, recognised the father and vehicle and contacted the police.

“Our German colleagues took the parents into custody. The baby was taken into the care of social services. She is in good health”, concludes police spokesperson Cebrian.

The girl’s biological parents, currently held in Germany, will most likely be extradited to the Netherlands.