CONSTABLE Sithobile Nyoni of uMlazi Police is appealing to parents to educate their children to avoid talking to strangers and to walk in groups after school.
The call comes after numerous cases were recently reported in uMlazi and other Durban police stations of learners being abducted after school. Constable Nyoni describes abduction as the taking of a person against their will, generally using persuasion, fraud or force.
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She also shares tips that can be used by parents to protect their children from kidnapping after school hours.
Constable Nyoni advises: “Parents should refrain from putting their child’s names on their school bags where it is bold and visible because this makes them vulnerable to being abducted. Strangers can just call learners by their names and tell them they are sent by their parents to pick them up, and the child will comply.”
She says it is vital for parents to teach their children to not talk to strangers and to always walk in groups. “Parents should also make sure that they are in contact with the person who fetches their child, especially around the time where they are supposed to leave school, to ensure their safety,” she added.
Here are simple actions, Const Nyoni says, which can keep a learner safe after school:
- A learner must always walk to or from school with a friend/friends.
- If a child is to be picked up from school, he or she should never leave the school premises.
- Teach your child to avoid a stranger’s car.
- Consider using a password system. If a person collects a child from a school, they need to repeat the password you and your child agreed upon.
- Teach your child not to talk to strangers, no matter how friendly they may seem.
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