My 5 yo son went missing yesterday, just for 20 minutes but it was so scary

[kid]

We were at school and he thought I had gone out of the gates so he ran out looking for me. I didn't know that though, I thought he was still in the school so I was searching for him.

I got a bit hysterical towards the end, but when I saw a man walking along with him coming towards to the school I burst into tears.

I had a go at DS rather than comfort him as he needed to know never, ever to leave the school without me.

He said he had told the man his address and which school he goes to. The lovely man was so kind and made sure DS was safe. I have never felt so sick and terrified.

It was very different at hometime today. He stayed by my side and left with me and even held my hand the whole way home.
Yesterday was a horrible, horrible experience and I have had some really nasty thoughts about what could have so easily have happened. But, he is safe. Its not even the first time I have lost him, but it is the first time a stranger found him. Lucky for us, it was a nice stranger.

And lucky it was a nice stranger who didn't think 'I can't talk to that child, people might think something'. DD walked out of a shop when she was 2, I only realised she was missing for about 30 seconds (the LONGEST 30 seconds of my life) before a middle aged man brought her back. The first thing he said to me was 'I haven't touched her'.

Glad all is well.

It is scary isn't it? Luckily I have only ever lost DD for about a minute (when less than 2yo) - but it was the longest minute of my life!

How sad that the man who returned your daughter felt the need to say that.
You are right though, people are afraid of being accused of anything even though they are not guilty.

Loads of people must have passed DS as its by a market. But no-one else stopped to see what was wrong with him or who he was with. He is only 5, so not old enough to be out alone.