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Criminal Solicitors Kidnapping

SOLVING PERSONAL LEGAL MATTERS

If you are faced with allegations of kidnap or false imprisonment, the potential consequences if you are convicted can be severe, with penalties of up to 12 years in prison able to be given for these types of offences.

With such serious charges, you need criminal solicitors with kidnapping and false imprisonment defence expertise to assist you to help work towards the best possible outcome from the situation.

Contact our specialist criminal defence team on 0800 689 3206. We operate 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, ensuring that we are available when you need us to help.

Kidnapping law

Under current legislation in England and Wales, kidnapping and false imprisonment are both offences that involve the unlawful and intentional or reckless detention of an individual against their will. There are four elements to the offence of kidnapping, which are:

When a person is taken away by someone else
The person is taken by force or by fraudulent means (i.e. they are lied to about where they are going or who is taking them)
The person does not give their consent to be taken
There is no lawful reason to take that person e.g. a police officer arresting someone could meet the first elements but as they have lawful power and reason to do so, it isn't kidnapping.

There is a separate offence of child abduction that applies when the victim is aged under 16 years.

False imprisonment law

False imprisonment is when someone intentionally causes the confinement of another person, usually to commit another offence e.g. assault. If someone is kidnapped and then held against their will for any period of time, the offences of both kidnap and false imprisonment may apply.

Any penalty or sentence given by the court to someone convicted of false imprisonment will take into account the circumstances involved to determine the severity of the punishment e.g. whether there was use of violence or a weapon, the level of planning involved, the vulnerability of the victim and any other offences that were committed in the lead up to, during or after the incident.

Why choose us as your criminal solicitors for kidnapping offences?

As experienced criminal defence solicitors, Forbes offer expert assistance in relation to offences such as kidnapping or false imprisonment. Our police station solicitor service, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, means that no matter when you need us, our team can offer specialist support at every single stage of an investigation; from initial arrest and/or questioning and throughout any potential prosecution. If you have been charged with a kidnapping or false imprisonment offence, our team can help by offering our legal expertise nationwide. Call us on 0800 689 3206.