The world recoiled at news that three girls were snatched off the street in Cleveland, Ohio - and for ten long years were incarcerated in a suburban house as sex slaves for a trio of men aged in their fifties. It seems there were numerous pregnancies and one resulted in the birth of a baby girl who is now six years old. The abducted girls included a school girl and the others ranged up in age to a twenty year old.
What is weird is that this house of abduction was not a rambling farmhouse far removed from scrutiny. It was a normal suburban home with close neighbours and it was on a street with heavy passing traffic. Some of the neighbours had suspicions because of bizarre activity and twice the police called, received no answer to the doorbell - and failed to follow up.
It will raise a glimmer of hope for Kate and Gerry McCann, still searching for their daughter Madeleine who was abducted as a three year old in Portugal. Madeleine would now be nine years old - and the Cleveland discovery proves that miracles do happen.
Sex slavery has hit the headlines before. Famous cases happened in Belgium and Germany in recent years and both revealed cunning perpetrators who operated under the noses of neighbours, friends and their immediate families. It is hard to believe the length of time this went undiscovered considering the brazen manner in which it was conducted.
This is a wake-up call for people in many countries. Most people try to be good neighbours and mind their own business, but that does have limits. If we suspect that something is amiss at a nearby home and we see evidence that arouses suspicion, it would be helpful to take the trouble to have a chat with the local police and put them in the picture.
In the Cleveland incident, neighbours report that they heard screams and loud bangings coming from the house on several occasions, and one neighbour saw naked girls being paraded in the yard with dog collars and leads attached. She actually went to the police, but was greeted with disbelief. Today - such a report would get a very different reception !
We live in changed times. Most people carry a smart phone these days and just about every mobile phone has a camera function. Nothing beats visual evidence to back up a report of a strange incident and just as we are asked to be alert to acts of terrorism - we should also be aware that cruel domestic crime is rampant behind closed doors.
Suppose that neighbour who saw naked girls wearing dog collars had used a camera to record what she saw ? The Cleveland incident could have ended a very long time sooner !
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