Unconfirmed social media kidnapping posts create panic

THE South African Police Service (SAPS) is concerned by the recent spike in video clips on various social media platforms, which have depicted cases of child abduction.

Since these postings went viral, police have been trying to confirm the accuracy of these posts and if they occurred in any part of the country.

On Wednesday night, a post about an alleged kidnapping in Aquadene went viral and caused mayhem before the local police were able to confirm that no reports were made at the Richards Bay Police Station to verify the incident.

The SAPS issued a statement to confirm that to this day, there is no evidence that suggests these incidents happened in South Africa and if these incidents are actually legitimate.

Besides reporting this to the police, one would have expected at least one family member would have come forward to publicly confirm at least one of these videos to be true.

‘The police will never know if these incidents really happened if they are not officially reported to the SAPS, and the only reasonable conclusion we can draw from this is that these videos are hoaxes.

‘Some of these videos might even be re-enactments as they are conveniently taken in a way that neither the location nor any other detail can be confirmed.

‘We are appealing to social media users to act responsibly and verify information before posting or sharing, as such postings do nothing more than cause unnecessary panic and paranoia among our communities.’

Social media, when utilised responsibly, is an important communication platform that assists the police in combating crime and arresting criminals.

Police have assured the community that continuous awareness and educational safety talks are conducted at various institutions, including schools.

While the recent social media postings remain unconfirmed, it is a reality that children do go missing, therefore parents and guardians are urged to exercise vigilance at all times.

An urgent appeal is made to people, in instances where they suspect a crime has been committed or anything suspicious has occurred, to contact the police first to verify such information.

In cases where children are involved, the Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) may be contacted as well as the sector manager of a particular area.

‘Discuss your concerns and let us together make informed decisions before posting on social media.’

Members of the community may call the police’s Crime Stop number, 08600 10111 and all information received will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

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