A nine-year-old boy encountered a man who tried to lure him into a car on his way home from school. Fortunately, the child refused and later told his mother about the incident. The suspicious vehicle was captured on surveillance camera, and the police are currently searching for its owner, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
A boy living in Ziepniekkalns had a frightening encounter with a stranger. On his way home, he was stopped by a man.
The child's mother recounts what happened: "He came home from school, and I wasn’t there at that moment. I arrived later, and he said, the first phrase was: ‘I think someone was trying to kidnap me.’ He said this with a smile, and at first, it seemed like some kind of joke."
Surprise turned to horror when her son began to share the details. An elderly man, sitting behind the wheel of a red van, offered to give the child a ride home. The boy refused, as fortunately, there were only a few meters left to the front door.
"We started contacting neighbors – they provided video. The footage from the surveillance camera indeed shows that the very van was passing by at that time, and it was really red, just as my son said. The strangest thing is that it drove to the end of the street, turned around, and drove back," the mother of the child explains.
She continues: "There are only six houses here, and there’s nowhere to take the child – beyond that is just forest. How can you offer a ride and then just turn around and leave? I know that there have already been cases near the school where strangers offered to get into their cars and offered candy. Such cases have already happened in Ziepniekkalns."
Two years ago, there was already a report of an incident in this same neighborhood when a man approached an 11-year-old girl on a bus. He handed her a love letter and wanted to meet. The girl managed to leave and told her parents about it, and then the residents of Ziepniekkalns learned about the incident.
One of them devised a plan to expose the pedophile – he pretended to be a girl and sent a message to the man proposing to meet. The stranger agreed, and when he arrived at the corner with flowers in hand, expecting a date with a fifth grader, he was met by an adult local resident.
At that time, the residents did not immediately report it to the police, but in this case, the boy's mother immediately filed a report, and law enforcement is currently investigating the incident. The woman says she will no longer take her eyes off her child.
"How does my son feel now? He is taking it quite calmly – he just doesn’t realize the consequences. He is nine, eight years old; I don’t think he understands much. Now, when he comes home, I will always go to meet him because on our small, quiet street, I no longer feel safe," the mother says.
Harassment from criminals is a nightmare for any parent, especially when sons and daughters start walking the streets alone. How can they be protected if it’s impossible to be nearby?
The director of the Child Welfare Department at the Child Rights Protection Center, Ako Karlis Cekulis, notes that the most important thing is to start talking to children about safety from an early age and to do it regularly.
He explains that constant communication creates a safe environment in which children will feel protected and will not be afraid to tell their parents about such incidents.
If you recognize the van shown in the video, have seen it in Ziepniekkalns, or know where it is and who the owner is, please call the police at 112.
Leave a comment