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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in askin ds to play near the house since there has been two near attempted abductions in the area

120 replies

ggirl · 12/10/2011 08:15

don't want to scare the crap out of him but as he and his friends usually play on their bikes/scooters after school I am worried
he's asking awkward questions like-
why would a person want to steal a child?

school have also talked vaguely about stranger danger since the first attempt was reported
another attempt last evening , so have told him he needs to play in garden after school
Am i being hysterical?

OP posts:
seeker · 12/10/2011 08:53

Have a look and see whether there's a statement from your local police force in response to the radio report. Look on your local radio website for more info.

Out the truth before you scare yourself and potentially you child and curtail his freedom.

slartybartfast · 12/10/2011 08:55

but its good to be aware about the potential - be it very minor

lesley33 · 12/10/2011 08:58

I have phoned or popped into my local police station. Don't know if this is an option?

And most child abductions are actually custody disputes between parents. So check it isn't that as well.

seeker · 12/10/2011 09:26

"but its good to be aware about the potential - be it very minor"

Is there anyone that isn't? Then last thing that's needed in this country is people being even more scared of their child being abducted!

Original poster
ggirl · 12/10/2011 09:28

Have phoned the 101 line and am waiting for them to call back.
Lets hope it's all just stupid rumours.

OP posts:
seeker · 12/10/2011 09:31

Have you looked at your local radio website?

Original poster
ggirl · 12/10/2011 09:39

just got callback from police
she said the school kids will be bringing home info for parents to ease the worry or something like that
I asked 'are the rumours true?" as she was dancing around the subject somewhat

she gave straight answer..NO

so brilliant news

I can relax

but what are the police doing at the school gates?
is it a coincidence and the are doing the traffic patrolling today?

anyway I am happy now
thanks for your v sensible replies ladies Smile

OP posts:
seeker · 12/10/2011 09:47

Yay!!!!!!!

Police either a coincidence or a misguided attempt to reassure people. Or a hen party!

Bossybritches22 · 12/10/2011 09:54

Great for clearing it up, puzzling though why the police were there, hey-ho you'll know soon enough.

seeker yes it does only take seconds to abduct a child, Jamie Bulger?

Thankfully they are very rare & I wouldn't scare anyone for the world but the OP was reacting to what seemed a reasonable "heads-up", if a little precaution means ONE child not being abducted then I'm all for it.

Original poster
ggirl · 12/10/2011 09:56

txt friend who sent me warning txt last night to tell her the rumours are not true

she doesn't believe me because the place is crawling with police and because apparently one school gave talk to kids about first incident !?!?

OP posts:
seeker · 12/10/2011 10:43

But the op was reacting to a rumour and if she had not made further enquiries she would have gone on acting on them, thereby unwittingly fuelling the rumour herself.

And if the only vaguely comparable example you can come up with is not at all comparable and 15 years ago........!

There are ALWAYS rumours like this and they always turn out to be false.

AKMD · 12/10/2011 10:49

Very glad the rumours are false. This actually happened 10 years ago while I was at school, with the same guy trying to get girls into his car outside school gates and in other areas videotaping girls using a camera hidden in his bag. It was very scary and my friends and I weren't allowed at walk home for a month!

seeker · 12/10/2011 10:51

Bet that was a rumour too!

AKMD · 12/10/2011 10:56

No, it wasn't. I was actually a victim, hence why it was so scary. Not of an attempted abduction thankfully but having a guy following me around, having to make a statement to the police and finding out later when he got caught that his house was filled floor to ceiling with home-made video tapes of him trying to get the camera under girls' skirts was bad enough.

notso · 12/10/2011 10:57

If there was a genuine case it would be better publicised than a text message, better even than local radio.
Apparently there has been a man in a silver car trying to abduct children round here for about three years now, his reg is even in the text Hmm.

Original poster
ggirl · 12/10/2011 11:05

OK have spoken to friend.
She has spoken to someone who knows the girls family very well and it is def true...wtf!!
Family of girl actually called friend of my friend to say what had happened last night!

I know all this sounds ridiculous but when you know the people concerned it doesn't sound so vague.

She is going to call the police as well and ask , very bizarre that police gave me reassurance that there was nothing to worry about if it is true.

OP posts:
seeker · 12/10/2011 11:19

Hmmm. Police or friend of a friend of a friend. Let me think.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 12/10/2011 11:21

If it was me I would keep my child near home just in case. Hopefully it will all just be rumours but I wouldn't be taking a chance.

Triggles · 12/10/2011 11:29

For those that question if it does just happen in a few seconds... read this.

www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/biggs_mikelle.html

This is a missing child case that occurred in the states years ago, but could easily happen anywhere. It STILL has not been solved - no solid idea (although suspicions) who took her and she has never been found. I still check back regularly to see if they've had any updates on it, but nothing so far.

seeker · 12/10/2011 11:48

That's right, fuel the rumours!

makachu · 12/10/2011 11:55

I think you're being sensible. This sort of thing is very rare, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. It might be that it happens a lot less due to encouraging children to be safe and avoid strangers. I still remember the time a man was hanging around the garages and tried to get me to come and look at his willy on my way home from school. Stories like this aren't ALWAYS scaremongering. Sometimes it's the publicity and the fuss that prevents something from happening. Hysteria isn't going to do any good, but neither is ignoring potential danger all together.

seeker · 12/10/2011 12:14

So when did it happen? When did a man grab a child he didn't know on the way home from school and try to force him or her into his car?

Fifis25StottieCakes · 12/10/2011 12:21

Mine have been walking half the way to school on their own since they are both now in the juniors. I get them over the busy road and they have a 3 minute walk on their own.

I walked them all the way this morning as there are reports of a black car and an attempted abduction. I havet checked the police report but its on FB with the police number and crimestoppers number for possible sightings. Im in Gateshead.

seeker · 12/10/2011 12:24

If it's on Facebook it's not true. Honestly.

Fifis25StottieCakes · 12/10/2011 12:24

and just a word of warning. In the next town there was an attempted abduction 18 months ago. Police were all over. I rang up and they said NO. 2 days later i stopped the police in my street and he confirmed it and told me to keep the kids within sight. That day the 2 other schools came back with letters. I had to tell our head the next day. She knew nothing about it.