A newborn baby was snatched from a hospital in Pakistan after his alleged abductors replaced him with a stuffed doll. Twenty-one years ago Dawn Griffiths was left distraught when her two-day-old daughter Alex became the first baby to be kidnapped from a UK maternity ward. The six-part drama is adapted from a book by Australian crime writer Michael Rowbotham, who was working in London as a journalist when a baby was snatched from a maternity ward in Nottingham. Chester and Dora Fronczak welcomed son Paul in Chicagos Michael Reese Hospital in 1964, but the baby was kidnapped by a woman pretending to be a nurse. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. But, against all the odds, Abbie was returned to her family. 'She said she was my health visitor and apologised for calling so late, but she'd been busy. Producers discuss second movie, Dua Lipa and Rachel Smith lead the glamour at fashion's biggest night of the year as the Met Gala 2023 red carpet is officially declared open, First look at King Charles 'priceless' golden Coronation robes with sweet tribute behind them, Olympic hero Sir Steve Redgrave's harrowing health battle as he breaks silence on diagnosis, Six heartbreaking signs that someone you love is months - or even days - away from dying, Young Leeds fan's father breaks silence after vid of players ignoring his son, 'MINI ME': Princess Charlotte is spitting image of her mum Kate in adorable new birthday picture taken by the Princess of Wales, Woman stabbed to death in broad daylight attack in London, Sky Sports presenter is surprise No.1 choice to replace Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday, Lawsuit demands release of Prince Harry's US visa records after drug admissions, Tragic dad crushed in indoor cave 'read poem by daughter' as he lay on death bed, Strictly's Kevin Clifton shares hidden battle as he celebrates 'wonderful five years', Paris Hilton's debut Met Gala entrance BLOCKED by climate change protestors, Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers. In 2016, Lavona Solomon was sentenced to 10 years in jail for kidnapping, fraud and violating the Children's Act. Dawn gave birth to a son, Charlie, in 1995, but her marriage to Stephen was doomed. baby Until that point, Dawn had never received any counselling. WebUK Edition Asia Edition Edicin en Espaol. "She had lost a lot of weight but you couldn't miss that shock of blonde hair she had been born with. Lavona denied the kidnapping, telling police she had bought a baby for 3,000 Rand - around 150 - from a woman who handed her over at a train station. The parents of the other baby helped police draw up an accurate photofit, which was used to launch a nationwide hunt. "She came with such force, such an uninvited invitation, so much suffering and so much pain. I've loved every minute of being at school and I know I'll miss it when I go to university.'. He said he understood why his mother was so quick to agree to adopt him as her son. 'It was a turning point. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher deliver Nottingham Forest relegation verdict, Latest Nottingham Forest news as Sky Sports pundits predict their three teams to go down at the end of the season with Leeds United and Everton highlighted, May Bank Holiday supermarket opening times for Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Tesco and more. As the nations clearinghouse about missing and sexually exploited children, NCMEC maintains statistics regarding the number and location of infant abductions and provides technical assistance and training to health care and security professionals in an effort to prevent infant abductions from occurring in their facilities. I had my priorities straight all along. Thank you. 'It is amazing that I was able to say goodbye to her without crying. She is unfazed by what happened to her when she was so young. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this Web site (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). She said: "Now and then mum would get out a folder with all the newspaper clippings and we'd sit down and have a look at them. So I did have a little bit of hope but I had to accept reality that nothing came from it. baby baby Throughout the trial, Lavona Solomon denied any wrongdoing. Note that the Latest Analysis of Infant Abduction Trendsdocument should be referenced for the current statistics on infant abductions. I wouldn't wish what happened to me on any father.". 'My skin was so bad I stopped going out': Expert reveals his 3 top skincare tips as women tell how an Kate and William's tribute to Aberfan: Solemn royals pay their respects in poignant visit 57 years after the Ballet princess! "It was so scary - I couldn't understand why I was feeling like this.". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Alexandra's case came to a happy conclusion - she was reunited with her parents two weeks after being taken - but that of Ames Glover has dragged on to become the UK's longest-running abduction investigation. ', "And she said, 'One day, I will tell you. Strategies to increase the safety of neonates, including understanding the profile of the potential kidnapper, reviewing common methods of A newborn baby abducted from a hospital has been discovered living in a rural town in the US five decades later. Children have also been kidnapped for the commission of sexual assault. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Mum arrested after seven-week-old baby snatched from hospital 'I was a single mum and I'd reached a point where I couldn't face another day. I remember Hugh Bonneville said to me, Theyre not all like this, she recalls. "I said, 'Why? Chester and Dora Fronczak assumed the boy was theirs, and it wasnt until he was 10 that he discovered newspaper clippings about the abduction and his parents explained the story. 'He still sends me a card and money on my birthday and at Christmas, but that's about it. Frequently initially visits nursery and maternity units at more than one health care facility prior to the abduction; asks detailed questions about procedures and the maternity floor layout; frequently uses a fire exit stairwell for her escape; and may also try to abduct from the home setting. All rights reserved. A seven-week-old babys mother has been arrested after the child was snatched from a hospital in Birmingham on Sunday morning. 'For anyone who remembers what we went through in those days when Alex was missing, it's hard to believe how well it's all turned out. To protect the history, the street even has it's own historical group known as the Mill Gate Conservation Group. 'I was sitting up in bed in hospital, my partner Jeff was in the chair beside me and Alex was in her crib, when a blonde woman aged about 34 and dressed in a brown skirt and top arrived,' she says. I just feel very bitter and angry that nobody knows what happened to Ames. Griffiths had fled with Alex down the back stairs and out of the building by the time security guards were alerted. I thought this can't be true. This type of abduction can take various forms; from a noncustodial parent abducting the infant, to a stranger abducting the Baby Kidnapped From Hospital "It's hard to say how my life would have turned out without my private school. Some asked Mich if she was sure she hadn't been adopted. A FIVE-decades-old mystery over the whereabouts of a baby kidnapped by a fake nurse has finally been solved. One daughter by Joanne Jowell. Paul said: She could either say, Im not sure and put this child back into the system, or say, Yes, thats my son and even if it was not, save this child from what could be a horrible life.. "I told her, 'By knowing I'm not your blood - that I actually belong to someone else, and that you've robbed them of possibilities and changed my whole destiny - hurts me. Now, the family are preparing to celebrate as Alex graduates from Manchester University. - The Secrets She Keeps Mon & Tue 9pm BBC One, Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. It was a terrible wrench to lose her so quickly, but I knew I had to be strong and believe that I would get her back. When a one-day-old baby, Paul Joseph Fronczak, was stolen from a Chicago hospital in 1964, the terrible story made headlines across America. ', "She still says that she didn't do it, but I think she did.". NCMEC has developed a list of characteristics from an analysis of 337 missing infants under six months of age related to healthcare occurring from 1964 through August 2022, in the United States. I asked Roger. The judge criticised her for showing no remorse during the trial. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. In 1964, a woman dressed as a nurse took one-day-old baby Paul Fronczak from his cot and never returned. Both Mich and her biological parents were there to hear Lavona's testimony. When night-time came around again I was a wreck. There were no nurses on the ward, so vital minutes were lost before the hospital exits could be closed. But they didn't share everything they did on the investigation with me and I felt they had not done enough. ', Joy: Dawn beams with relief after being reunited with baby Alex.