The rising number of child disappearances and attempted abductions has plunged the capital into a state of fear and outrage, as highlighted by Saturday’s events in Ilanivato.
The Ilanivato police station, located in the fourth arrondissement, experienced a chaotic day on Saturday. Twice—first at midday and again in the early evening—a large, hostile crowd gathered outside the station. These tensions stemmed from two separate attempted child abductions.
At midday, a woman in her twenties, identified as a sex worker residing in Isotry IVO, was apprehended by the ‘fokonolona’ (local community) in Tranodimy, a neighborhood near Ilanivato. Police were already aware of her history involving the theft of earrings from children.
Hasina Rasamiarisoa recounted: ‘From the terrace, my son saw his two sisters, aged 5 and 11, at the gate with this woman. He thought she was perhaps a friend. I went out and crossed paths with my daughters and her. At that moment, they said nothing, but their eyes were wide open and they were terrified. They were crying as the woman led them away. They eventually confessed that she had forced them to follow her.’
The suspect had given 200 ariary to the eldest child. ‘She sent her to buy tamarind while keeping the younger one. Even before I questioned her, she defended herself by claiming she wasn’t a child thief, then she tried to flee. Locals caught her and took her to the station. We came to file a complaint and ensure she would be incarcerated,’ the mother added. Her sister, Ony Elisette Mahefarisoa, urged parents to be vigilant in the face of what she considers confirmed threats.
Outside the police station, the street quickly filled with a crowd demanding the suspect’s death. The head of the ‘fokontany’ (neighborhood district), Claude Alphonse, and police officers attempted to calm the situation. However, when an unmarked car escorted the woman—along with the children, their mother, and their aunt—to the central police station in Tsaralalàna, stones were thrown. The situation was eventually contained, before another, more violent incident erupted in the evening.
This time, the 6-year-old niece of Herisoa Jean Razafindratinaniaina, living in Ampefiloha Ambodirano, was nearly abducted by a heavy-set man known as a criminal in Anosizato. ‘The little girl lives with my wife and me. She was sick, so I told her to stay home. I had locked the door, but the individual, armed with a knife, broke it down. He didn’t steal anything. He was carrying my niece when a shopkeeper noticed him. The child was crying. Alerted, I arrived just as the ‘fokonolona’ was chasing him. He eventually abandoned the little girl,’ described Herisoa Jean.
The suspect attempted to take refuge at the Ilanivato police station, but the mob beat him severely before he could reach the entrance. He was left in critical condition. Overwhelmed, the police were unable to prevent residents from tearing down the station’s metal gate.
A ‘taxi-be’ (minibus) requisitioned by law enforcement transported the wounded man to the hospital under police escort. The local ‘fokontany’ chief explained that the residents’ anger is fueled by the recent abduction and murder of young Sahala Fanekena, who also lived in Ampefiloha Ambodirano.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-06 06:43:15 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/ilanivato-la-foule-sen-prend-deux.html