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A Desperate Search For Stolen Children
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Chen said that police should send officers to investigate the places where people disappear as well as their residences. "They should collect photos of the kidnap victims, look for witnesses and get more evidence on how the person was kidnapped," Chen said.
But trafficking remains difficult to prosecute, and as millions pour into China's cities, the problem has become inextricably linked to migration issues.
"Trafficking often results when poor people are desperate to find better circumstances. In many cases, the people who are trafficked willingly accept offers of help from people who turn out to be traffickers," said Dale Rutstein, a spokesman for Unicef.
"One or both parents leave children with relatives or neighbors in remote villages to find work. Young girls from the countryside, aged 15 and older, leave home looking for work. Children left behind are more vulnerable to exploitation," he added.
On Yuan's third or fourth trip to Shanxi, after he had exhausted his savings and borrowed from relatives, he finally found a reason for hope.
Three teenage boys working in a kiln jabbed at the photo of Yuan's son and said they recognized him. "They said they were sent there together. But they were divided up after they arrived," he said. "I was very excited."
But under police questioning, the boys' stories began to appear inconsistent. Shanxi police told Yuan to ask the Henan police for help, because his son had disappeared there. "But Henan police did not pay much attention, either," he said. "They said to keep searching by ourselves and they can cooperate if we find some clues."
Slowly, the other families have begun to find their children. Two were reunited with their sons with the help of local authorities, Yuan said, but police did not explain how the children were found.
Of the original group, only Yuan and one other family are still searching.
Internet articles drawing attention to the cases helped raise $22,000 in donations that were spread last month among 23 families in Zhengzhou, including Yuan's.
"I felt the world's heart was big," Yuan said. "Of course I also later became numb from the consolation. What I most wanted to hear was information about my son."
Researcher Li Jie contributed to this report.
