Woman accused of child abduction faces mob violence: are there child kidnappers in Uzbekistan? (video)

Videos circulating on social media show a woman in the Tashkent region surrounded by residents after being suspected of child abduction. In the footage, citizens can be seen verbally abusing the woman with degrading remarks and physically assaulting her. In order to clarify the situation, QALAMPIR.UZ reached out to the Commissioner for children’s rights of the Oliy Majlis (Children’s ombudsman), Surayya Rakhmanova.

According to an official investigation, on the evening of August 25 of this year, at around 22:00, residents of the “Oydinobod” neighborhood in the Kuyichirchiq district noticed a woman, S.O. (born in 1979), walking aimlessly down the street with her face covered by a medical mask. They asked her identity and who she was looking for in the neighborhood. Her answers reportedly raised suspicions among the residents, prompting them to follow her. In particular, two residents living nearby blocked the stranger’s way and prevented her from moving further.

Furthermore, some women of the neighborhood, alleging that S.O. had come with the intent of abducting a child, insulted her by using words that violated her honor and dignity. The incident was recorded on mobile phones by residents and later circulated across various Telegram channels and groups within the district.

“The claims by residents regarding child abduction are unfounded. S.O. did not commit any acts of coercion against any minor,” Rahmonova stated.

Following the incident, officers of the Kuyichirchiq district police arrived at the scene and conducted an inquiry into the administrative offense. Case files were compiled against seven individuals suspected of committing an administrative violation under Article 183 (Petty hooliganism) of the Code of Administrative Liability of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The documents were forwarded to the Kuyichirchiq district criminal court for review.

Following the incident, QALAMPIR.UZ requested clarification from the Children’s ombudsman regarding whether any cases of child abduction had occurred in Uzbekistan, whether such incidents had been observed in recent years, and to what extent the rumors circulating among the public, claiming that “child abductors kidnap children to remove and sell their organs”, correspond to reality.

According to official statistics, no cases of children being abducted by strangers have been recorded in Uzbekistan. Such situations may only arise in the context of family disputes, involving parents or close relatives. No crimes related to organ transplantation involving minors have been reported either. In this regard, the situation in Uzbekistan is considerably better compared to other countries. By safety index, Uzbekistan ranks first in Central Asia.