Two schools in Singapore had recently issued warning letters to parents after they received complaints that strangers tried to lure school girls into a white van.
UPDATE: Singapore Police have investigated the matter and have found these strangers to be innocent. Apparently, they were just trying to be helpful.
“No attempted kidnapping”, says Singapore Police
In a Facebook post, Singapore Police revealed that thorough investigation of the cases had been done.
“The Police have established that these two unrelated reports were not cases of attempted kidnapping. In both cases, the occupants of the vehicles were trying to be helpful by offering a lift to the students.”
The strangers were apparently trying to help the students as it was raining heavily on those days.
Police also said that contrary to what was reported earlier, no one had got out of the van to persuade the students.
“The Police has since clarified with the student that no persons had alighted from the school bus to persuade her to board it.”
“The Police treat such reports seriously. However, we urge members of the public not to speculate or spread unsubstantiated information which may generate unnecessary public alarm.”
Strangers tried to lure school girls in Singapore
2 similar incidents of strangers trying to lure school girls were reported in schools in the Dover area in January.
The first incident happened on Jan 11, and involved a middle school student from the United World College (UWC) South-east Asia Dover campus.
She was waiting for her bus along Dover Road, when she was approached by a man driving a van. He asked her to get into the vehicle.
According to The Straits Times, the UWC letter says that, “The student took exactly the right action: she did not respond, walked away in the opposite direction of the van, and informed a known adult.”
Photo received over WhatsApp
That night the girl and her parents lodged a police report.
The second incident happened on Jan 16 at around noon time. A school girl from Tanglin Trust School was walking to school from one-north MRT station. This time, she was approached by two people in a white van, who asked her to get in.
She ignored their request and continued to walk to school.
She immediately reported the incident to school management, and they informed her parents.
The school reported the matter to police and has also requested for higher police presence in the area. Do note that Tanglin Trust School is located just 2.5 km away from UWC.
Following the incident, other schools have also issued warning letters to parents.
A letter sent by Dulwich College said, “We are indeed blessed to live in a country which is regarded as one of the safest in the world. However, low crime does not mean no crime and we urge you and your children to be vigilant, now and always.”
Strangers tried to lure school girls: What children should do
Rainy day or not, it is always better to be safe than sorry and not accept lifts from strangers.
Tanglin Trust school recommends that, “Students should not walk alone in the vicinity of the school but walk with friends”.
Here are some tips to empower our children against stranger danger:
- Teach children the difference between ‘good’ strangers and ‘bad’ strangers
This is the trickiest part. Unfortunately, ‘bad’ people may not ‘look’ evil; nothing like the villains you see in the movies and cartoons.
People with bad intentions can pretend to be nice and friendly as well. So do advise your kids never to walk off or get into houses and vehicles with people they don’t know.
Also, teach your kids about ‘safe’ strangers. These are the people the child can approach for help, in times of crisis. They include policemen and perhaps, mummies with kids?
- Do not respond to strangers. Ignore them and walk away. Inform a trusted adult as soon as possible.
- Children should avoid secluded places when going to or coming back from school.
They should also be alert and vigilant at all times.
A confident attitude will put off many criminals who mostly prey on confused, lost or distracted children. Body language is a good indicator of a child’s personality; inattentive people usually make easy targets.
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Don’t fall for some common tricks.
Trick #1: Pretend to be from the Police.
The child should ask for the Police Officer’s Warrant Card to verify his identity before obeying his instructions.
Trick #2: Asking for help
The stranger could ask for directions, or pretend to need help with carrying his groceries. Children should be suspicious of any stranger who asks for their help.
When adults need help, they usually turn to other adults and not kids.
Trick #3: Bribes you with gifts and promises
It could be a promise to buy ice cream. Or it could be candy or other gifts.
An person with dubious intentions usually resorts to such methods to convince the child that he is a friend and a good person. His hidden agenda might be to persuade the child to go somewhere alone with him.
Trick #4: “Your mummy is in hospital, come with me”
One of the most commonly cooked up stories is about an emergency at home. An imposter-abductor might claim that one of the parents has met with an accident and the child needs to go to the hospital with him.
Or it could be “your mummy sent me to pick you up.” Small children should be taught to never believe such lies.
Some parents teach their kids an “emergency password”, which they can use in case they really need to pass a message to their children.
So if a stranger accosts them with such stories, the kids can ask for the “password”. If the person does not know it, the child should get away from him as soon as possible.
Also READ: So you think your kid knows about stranger danger?
(Source: The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia)