Headlines and the truth - what to trust ?

[SerendipityJane]

Anyone else find themselves a little askance and wondering if "woman" is biologically correct here ?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/woman-children-police-parents-park-b2522710.html

i’m confused

i immediately think… the mother but you think…. man?

Women are virtually never motivated to paedophilia, and crimes of sex and violence. For that reason, other women, and children, are not suspicious or untrusting when a woman approaches. And, for that reason, throughout the world and throughout time, there are additional clues which society uses, to make doubly sure that everyone knows if the human they are looking at is female, or male. Different clothing and/ or hairstyles augments the ease of telling men and women apart, from a distance and at a glance.

Many men have fetishes, and among those are men wanting to pretend to be babies or pretend to be women. The fetishes are only harmless while they are in private. Men everywhere, in all societies, are for good reason discouraged from following their fantasy or fetish in public. It is a danger to women and children if men dress up in public as women.
(Other than when it is done as staged entertainment, with a clear signal that it is not intended to trick women or children into mistaken trust or belief)

In the newspaper story it says "stranger' and that the father "saw a woman whom they did not know holding each child by the arm".

So no, not the mother.

so your reaction is to think man

rather than the mother??

In the first paragraph it says that the perp was a "stranger", so not the mother.

I can imagine a mother grabbing her kids, but this is not the case here.

The children seem to have been friends, not siblings. The report may be being coy about the details to protect their identity.

Women steal babies and very young children but it seems odd that she would go for two at a time. That's a lot of wrangling. Also if they were going into an amusement arcade, I would guess them to be about 8 at least.

All's well that ends well. They weren't harmed, at least.

the story is A father says a woman grabbed two young children at a holiday park in an incident police are now investigating.

so not known
I would guess an acrimonious split
and father reported

likewise

the article also repeatedly says “woman”

so if the op questions that. Not unreasonable for me to question another word in the article

What is the point you're making, brocollilover? Genuine question.

It may have been updated. Definitely said "stranger" the first time I clicked on it.
Anyway, latest version... (my bold)

A father says a woman grabbed two young children at a holiday park in an incident police are now investigating.
The youngsters were at the Lizard Point Holiday Park near Mullion, Cornwall on Sunday, where they went from the function room into the amusement arcade together.
Devon and Cornwall Police said when the father of one of the children went to find the pair, he saw a woman whom they did not know holding each child by the arm.
The man shouted for the woman to let go of the children, which she did, and the children were then taken back to their families, unharmed.

let’s wait for the outcome of the investigation

my guess…. a female relative

at the moment…. everything is the father’s word

But the children aren't even siblings, broccoli.

Yanbu OP. This story doesn't jump out at me but there have definitely been others where I've wondered...hang on.

Most media outlets have guidelines to call TW she/her.

I know what you mean OP. It’s the Scarlet Blake effect. Every headline about SB said ‘woman’ & everyone was ‘bloody hell a woman committed that really violent murder? and then of course it turned out that scarlet was a man to be added to the list of crimes reported as being by women but actually committed by men.

as i say…. i’d be very interested in the outcome of the investigation

but my view

yes female
and no not a stranger
an acrimonious split

The Independent still has "stranger" in its sub-heading.

And the police must be taking the father, seriously, since they are appealing for witnesses.
Here is the police media release
https://news.devon-cornwall.police.uk/news-article/b9ba90d9-9ef1-ee11-9d62-6045bdd24049

Since it said "the father said he saw a woman" I believe it was a woman.

If it'd said "the police said a woman grabbed them" then sadly I wouldn't have the foggiest idea whether it was a man or woman.

yes

the father also repeatedly said “woman”

but it would seem that is ok to question

It's very vague. It's possible that a woman saw two unaccompanied children and decided to wrangle them out of the arcade to see if she could spot a parent.

I don’t really know whether you are being disingenuous in asking this, or naive or a bit shit-stirry?

I assume that you know that there has been a lot of press coverage recently on the reporting of biological males involved in crime as ‘women’ if they say they are.

And this has had the effect of making many people question the material reality of the situation when someone committing an act of possible attempted child abduction is described as a ‘woman’ when the crime is more typically male. That is all.

There has not been a corresponding trend for falsely describing related people as ‘strangers’.

So that is why some people are questioning the use of ‘woman’ but not questioning the use of ‘stranger’ or ‘not known to them’.

But I am sure you can understand this really.

let’s just see what the investigation reveals
🤷