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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

wwyd, in this situation

68 replies

slavewife · 14/05/2011 10:30

walking home yesterday, next to ds school, there was a little girl (in full uniform) outside the locked school gate, with some other children behind the closed gate, all shouting for the little girl to get back inside school etc... (child was a 4 year old nursery child), went over and asked if she was OK? she said she wanted to play outside, I asked if her parents we're with her and she shrugged her shoulders.

There is a bus stop next to the school, and it is a fairly busy road, and I asked if any of the passengers, if they knew the child, none didn't, so I picked her up and took her into the school and said I found her outside the locked gates.

Now turns out the child, lives next door to the school (a small stones throw) and the head, said Oh I take her back, and all was fine.....

WWYD in this situation? the same as me, or left the child on a dangerous road, unattended?

OP posts:
oldraver · 15/05/2011 00:17

I dont quite understand the bit about the gates being locked (as they would be) and then taking the girl in through the locked gates Confused

SarahStratton · 15/05/2011 00:19

Maybe the Moldovan unicycle fairy flew them over the gates? Grin

wudu · 15/05/2011 00:23

This is bonkers!

Safeguarding children is all of our business and if I had been faced with the same scenario, I would have done the same thing!

I agree that picking the child up wasn't your best move, but your motives were absolutely right.

I hope things work out ok for you OP

ettiketti · 15/05/2011 06:24

Why pick up a 4 year old that you don't know? Why not hold its hand? If there were children outside playing, staff would be.there too, why not call one over to deal with it? Doesn't add up to me.

CordeliaCatkin · 15/05/2011 09:33

I spotted 2 little girls crying when I was with my dh and dds. They had lost their mum. I couldn't see her and it was a busy event. I told them I would help them and started walking with them to what looked like stewards area - turned out to be St johns ambulance who then diirected me to lost children area. One of the girls became distraught, I asked her if she wanted me to pick her up and then I did, which helped calm her. As we walked along with me holding her and the calmer one walking alongside, the mum rushed up. My dh had seen panicked looking woman and told her where I had gone. She was vv grateful that I was looking after her dds.

RunAwayWife · 15/05/2011 09:53

Bloody hell, so the "parents" let the child wonder the streets by a busy road and you find her outside the school in the school uniform and take her in to the school and you are the one in trouble Shock

I think the dad should be ask why he left a child to wonder off, maybe you should have left her to get run over see if he was happier with that

RunAwayWife · 15/05/2011 09:57

So is picking up a child to remove them from danger abuse now???
The world has gone mad when decent people are too afraid to help a child and yet you still can not hang paedophiles cause they have human rights Hmm

AmazingBouncingFerret · 15/05/2011 10:14

It's not abuse RunAway but it can be misconstrued.

I only work for retail but we have a very long, strict child safety policy which involves no touching of the child at all without parents consent. It's not just for the safety of the child it's for the safety of our reputations.

I'm wary of the picking up bit. Why physically pick up a 4 year old? They are more than capable of walking.

troisgarcons · 15/05/2011 10:29

How did the father know it was YOU who 'picked the child up' ? The Head wouldnt have told him - and more to the point HOW did he get your telephone number???

melikalikimaka · 15/05/2011 10:39

See what I mean, some things just don't make sense. I find it hard to believe.

SarahStratton · 15/05/2011 10:41

I think OP is the same OP as the one that did the Saturday tutor thread.

alwaysleftout · 15/05/2011 17:27

Picking up a child is not abuse. But the intention could be misconstrued. There is no need to pick a 4 year old child up in the scenario the OP has given. Or indeed even touch the child - unless she was about to run on to the main road and then holding the child away from the main road would be seen as protecting the child.

The OP could have stayed with the child until further help (from an appropriate source) arrived. That would have sufficed.

sausagesandmarmelade · 15/05/2011 17:29

I don't quite understand why this has escalated in the way that it has.

I thought you were acting as a good citizen meself!

HowToLookGoodGlaikit · 15/05/2011 17:41

Total rubbish. I believed it until the whole CPO/arrested info came out.

sausagesandmarmelade · 15/05/2011 17:58

Have to say I became rather sceptical when it came to the CPO thing...but retained an open mind.

If this is one big spoof....then why? Confused

Ishani · 15/05/2011 18:03

Peoples best form of defense is attack this father is trying to deflect attention from his shortcomings. I hope this gets resolved and he gets his arse kicked into next week.

Original poster
slavewife · 15/05/2011 18:25

The emergency solicitor was extremely helpful,and she is shocked at the treatment and accusation made against me, and then dropped. She is requesting the file on Monday morning, and I will be meeting her, hopefully a few days after her receiving the file. GSCC, and my union are being contacted first thing in the morning again!.

I lifted the child, because A, she was happy to, and B the whole area is covered by CCTV, it has a pub across the road which has CCTV leading onto the bus stop main road, CCTV on the school gates, and also in the entrance reception. My solicitor will be asking for these on Monday.

I weighed up the risk, which we're , to leave the child unattended on a busy road, or take her with me, she wanted carried and I seen no problem with this.

Yes of course I could have done X,Y,and Z, however I didn't, and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I'm not sure where you think the "man" called me Hmm I never said this, the police called me!!.

I didn't drip feed either, I wanted peoples opinions, before emerging the full circumstances hence why I said in my OP all was fine....

This will be my last post on this (I cant be chewed in dealing with a she said, I dont believe you etc...),as its now in the hands of my solicitor, I don't care if people believe me or not, that's your problem, not mine, I have a very REAL problem in dealing with all this mess, and trying to get back to work.

OP posts:
alwaysleftout · 15/05/2011 18:28

Umm.... I think you will find it is not anyone alse's problem Wink

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