Parents, please take heed and teach your kids how to protect themselves from strangers
Recent kidnapping stories might have left us worried for our children, especially when travelling abroad. But among all these recent kidnapping stories, one has surfaced that showcases the resourcefulness of the victim.
A nine-year-old Indonesian student — only known by his initials AL — was kidnapped in early October 2018. The child’s mother Enok went on a frantic search for her child before the harsh reality hit her: he had been kidnapped.
Recent kidnapping stories: Exactly what happened to AL?
These suspicions arose when the parents of “W”, AL’s friend, informed Enok of what happened on the day AL went missing. That day, AL and W were gaming at an internet cafe in Cicaheum. Then, a stranger approached them. He lured them into following him.
W and AL were brought to a cemetery complex in Cikadut. W, getting scared by now, refused to follow the man any further. Reportedly, the kidnapper beat W till he fell unconscious. The man then left W in the cemetery complex, and took away AL instead.
Upon learning that AL was a victim of kidnapping, Enok immediately reported her findings to Bandung’s Police Headquarters, carrying a photo of AL with her. While investigating AL’s disappearance, the police received a report about a child who was found in Sumedang, another city some distance away from Bandung.
The police in Bandung coordinated with Sumedang’s police station to match AL’s data with the child they found. They were a match: it turned out that the child Sumedang police had was actually AL, who had managed to successfully escape from his kidnapper.
AL’s story
After returning to his mum’s embrace, AL explained how the kidnapper forced him to walk on foot through the forest between Bandung to Sumedang. For three whole days, AL was not given any food or drinks at all. He was forced to sleep in random areas, like sidewalks and in cemeteries.
AL admitted that he ran away while the kidnapper was asleep after they had arrived in Sumedang. Local residents then found him and brought him to Sumedang’s police station. Armed with AL’s information, the police immediately began searching for his kidnapper.
The kidnapper was actually a trash collector
What we can learn from recent kidnapping stories: teach your child to not accept candy or other questions they might have. | Image Source: Stock Photo
It turned out that the kidnapper had already fled to Cirebon as soon as he knew that police were pursuing him. He was eventually successfully arrested on October 12 in Cirebon.
According to Senior Commissioner Irman Sugema, the Chief of Bandung Police, the kidnapper, with initials FZ, was working as a trash collector. He was kidnapping children so they could join him trash collecting, earning money for him.
Tips to prevent your child from becoming a victim of child kidnapping
Here are some things you and your children can learn from recent kidnapping stories, parents! | Image Source: Stock Photo
1. Don’t let your child wander alone
It is important that your child is always accompanied by a trustworthy adult at all times. Don’t let your children meet their friends in a park or at the end a street alone, without your supervision.
Even disregarding the possibility of a kidnapping, other dangers may also be lurking in the dark, or even injure them without anyone’s knowledge. That’s why it’s so important to always entrust your child to be accompanied by a trustworthy adult wherever they go.
2. Be cautious around strangers
It is important to teach your kids not to interact with strangers. Teach your children that there is nothing wrong with shouting and making noise if they feel uncomfortable after being approached by a stranger.
Remind them to say no, run, yell and tell others should they feel that they are in danger or in discomfort
3. Bring a photo of your child before they go outdoors
One good idea is to take a photo of your child before they step outside home. Should your child go missing, you can easily share photos of them and how they dressed that day.
4. Always hold their hands
Toddlers and young children tend to wander a lot. Try to fix a rule where your child must always hold your hand unless you say otherwise. Do hold onto your child in crowded areas like airports, malls, or amusement parks.
5. Monitor your children while supervising them
A helpful tip is to dress your child with brightly colored clothes so that they can be easily identified in crowded areas.
Mums, we hope that this article on recent kidnapping stories has been useful. This article was originally written by Fitriyani, and translated by Kevin Wijaya Oey. Republished with permission from theAsianparent Indonesia.
Also Read:
Attempted kidnapping of 10-month-old baby is urgent child safety reminder
Mums, here’s what to do if your child goes missing
CCTV footage shows how terrifyingly easy it is to kidnap children
Girl kidnapped, later found begging on the street: Safety tips to prevent kidnapping