ab·duc·tion /ab-'dək-shən, əb-/ n
1 a: the action of abducting
abduction of a robbery victim
b: the tort or felony of abducting a person
2: the unlawful carrying away of a wife or female child or ward for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse
◇ Sense 2 has its roots in common law. As statutorily defined, mainly in the nineteenth century, abduction is generally stated to include taking away or detention of a woman under a certain age, usu. 16 or 18, with or without her consent or knowledge of her age.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.