Kidnapped girl found, father arrested
2012-12-06 10:00
Pretoria - A kidnapped 7-year-old Pretoria girl has been
found unharmed after the owners of the Mpumalanga guesthouse where she was
staying recognised her photos from news reports.
Pura Pahlo's relieved foster father, Evan Andreou confirmed
to News24 that she was found in Lydenburg early on Thursday morning and is
safe.
She was kidnapped outside her primary school in Waterkloof
on Wednesday morning, in an operation allegedly staged by her biological
father.
"Her father and a female accomplice booked into a
guesthouse as a family. The owner of the guesthouse said she couldn't get over
how familiar this child seemed to her, so she went back onto the internet, I
think on News24, and saw her photo.
"Her son phoned me at about 03:30 this morning and said
they suspect it could be her, so I sent them more photos of Pura, and they were
certain. We then contacted the Brooklyn police, who got in touch with the
police in Lydenburg who went to the guesthouse."
Andreou said Pura's biological father tried to make a run
for it, but he and his female accomplice were arrested.
Andreou was travelling to Mpumalanga to be reunited with his
foster daughter.
"We're very relieved," he said.
