SINGAPORE - Two international schools in the Dover area have alerted parents about two alleged attempts to kidnap their students in January.
The police confirmed to The Straits Times that two reports have been lodged about the cases and investigations are ongoing. The driver in one case has been identified and he is assisting with investigations, said a spokesman.
The first case on Jan 11 involved a United World College (UWC) South-east Asia Dover campus middle-school student who was waiting for the bus in Dover Road.
In a letter seen by The Straits Times that was issued to parents by the school, UWC said that the girl was approached by a man driving a van who asked the student to get into the vehicle.
"The student took exactly the right action: She did not respond, walked away in the opposite direction of the van, and informed a known adult," said the letter. She and her parents filed a police report that night.
The second incident took place on Tuesday at 12.30pm. A female student from Tanglin Trust School was walking to school from one-north MRT station when she was approached by two people in a white van, asking her to get in.
A school spokesman told The Straits Times that the girl ignored them and continued to walk to school. The two occupants of the van then got out of their vehicle and continued to try to persuade her to get in, but she moved away quickly and arrived at school safely.
The student reported the incident to school management, who informed her parents.
The school later filed a police report, including a request for greater police presence in the vicinity. Tanglin Trust School is located about 2.5km away from UWC.
Both schools have sent letters to parents about the incidents, while the children have been briefed on appropriate measures to keep themselves safe.
For example, Tanglin Trust School advised parents that "students should not walk alone in the vicinity of the school but walk with friends".
A UWC spokesman said the school also informed schools in the area and other international schools.
One international school, Dulwich College, has alerted parents about the two incidents.
In a letter sent on Wednesday, the school added: “We are indeed blessed to live in a country which is regarded as one of the safest in the world. However, low crime does not mean no crime and we urge you and your children to be vigilant, now and always.”
Mrs Jasmine Gan, a 31-year-old housewife whose child goes to Tanglin Trust School, said she was shocked to learn about the incident involving a student from the school, as she had “always thought Singapore was very safe”.
Told about the UWC incident, the Malaysian said she would be more vigilant. She picks her four-year-old son up from the school daily.
“If I had a teenage girl, I would probably be more worried,” she said, noting the similarities between the two cases.
Timmy Slaytack, 17, a Year 12 student from Tanglin Trust School, said that the "suspected kidnapping was shocking”.
“The school told us to always walk around in groups, and avoid wearing headphones so we can always hear what’s going on around us,” he said.
Another Year 12 student, a 16-year-old who only wanted to be known as K.W., said that aside from telling students to be careful and not to walk alone, the school also "told us not to be overly worried about it, and stay calm".
A 30-year-old housewife, who only wanted to be called Ms Mao Mao and was picking up her nine-year-old daughter from Tanglin Trust School, said she was "really scared" when she first heard about the incident. "I never expected something like this to happen in Singapore,” she said.
Madam Wang Shufen, 70, picks her seven-year-old grandson up from UWC every afternoon. She said the alleged kidnapping attempts worried her.
"This happens a lot in China and other countries, but I think Singapore is safer," the Chinese national said in Mandarin. "But this incident is a good reminder to be vigilant."
She added that she tells her grandson not to go off with a stranger, even if he claims he was sent by family members.
Nanny Nonietta Serna, 52, who usually picks up her employer's child after her activities at UWC, said her employer told her to remind the Grade 1 child to be wary of strangers and not to wander off.
High-school students from UWC said the school informed them briefly of the incident during an assembly on Monday and told them to walk away and inform an adult if a stranger approaches them.
A 15-year-old UWC student, who wanted to be known only as H.D, said the school has always taught its students what to do when approached by strangers like in the recent cases. "We know enough not to get into a stranger's vehicle. It's common sense," she said.
The police are appealing to the public not to speculate about the cases as investigations are ongoing.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...school-send-out-alerts-after-kidnapping-scare
The police confirmed to The Straits Times that two reports have been lodged about the cases and investigations are ongoing. The driver in one case has been identified and he is assisting with investigations, said a spokesman.
The first case on Jan 11 involved a United World College (UWC) South-east Asia Dover campus middle-school student who was waiting for the bus in Dover Road.
In a letter seen by The Straits Times that was issued to parents by the school, UWC said that the girl was approached by a man driving a van who asked the student to get into the vehicle.
"The student took exactly the right action: She did not respond, walked away in the opposite direction of the van, and informed a known adult," said the letter. She and her parents filed a police report that night.
The second incident took place on Tuesday at 12.30pm. A female student from Tanglin Trust School was walking to school from one-north MRT station when she was approached by two people in a white van, asking her to get in.
A school spokesman told The Straits Times that the girl ignored them and continued to walk to school. The two occupants of the van then got out of their vehicle and continued to try to persuade her to get in, but she moved away quickly and arrived at school safely.
The student reported the incident to school management, who informed her parents.
The school later filed a police report, including a request for greater police presence in the vicinity. Tanglin Trust School is located about 2.5km away from UWC.
Both schools have sent letters to parents about the incidents, while the children have been briefed on appropriate measures to keep themselves safe.
For example, Tanglin Trust School advised parents that "students should not walk alone in the vicinity of the school but walk with friends".
A UWC spokesman said the school also informed schools in the area and other international schools.
One international school, Dulwich College, has alerted parents about the two incidents.
In a letter sent on Wednesday, the school added: “We are indeed blessed to live in a country which is regarded as one of the safest in the world. However, low crime does not mean no crime and we urge you and your children to be vigilant, now and always.”
Mrs Jasmine Gan, a 31-year-old housewife whose child goes to Tanglin Trust School, said she was shocked to learn about the incident involving a student from the school, as she had “always thought Singapore was very safe”.
Told about the UWC incident, the Malaysian said she would be more vigilant. She picks her four-year-old son up from the school daily.
“If I had a teenage girl, I would probably be more worried,” she said, noting the similarities between the two cases.
Timmy Slaytack, 17, a Year 12 student from Tanglin Trust School, said that the "suspected kidnapping was shocking”.
“The school told us to always walk around in groups, and avoid wearing headphones so we can always hear what’s going on around us,” he said.
Another Year 12 student, a 16-year-old who only wanted to be known as K.W., said that aside from telling students to be careful and not to walk alone, the school also "told us not to be overly worried about it, and stay calm".
A 30-year-old housewife, who only wanted to be called Ms Mao Mao and was picking up her nine-year-old daughter from Tanglin Trust School, said she was "really scared" when she first heard about the incident. "I never expected something like this to happen in Singapore,” she said.
Madam Wang Shufen, 70, picks her seven-year-old grandson up from UWC every afternoon. She said the alleged kidnapping attempts worried her.
"This happens a lot in China and other countries, but I think Singapore is safer," the Chinese national said in Mandarin. "But this incident is a good reminder to be vigilant."
She added that she tells her grandson not to go off with a stranger, even if he claims he was sent by family members.
Nanny Nonietta Serna, 52, who usually picks up her employer's child after her activities at UWC, said her employer told her to remind the Grade 1 child to be wary of strangers and not to wander off.
High-school students from UWC said the school informed them briefly of the incident during an assembly on Monday and told them to walk away and inform an adult if a stranger approaches them.
A 15-year-old UWC student, who wanted to be known only as H.D, said the school has always taught its students what to do when approached by strangers like in the recent cases. "We know enough not to get into a stranger's vehicle. It's common sense," she said.
The police are appealing to the public not to speculate about the cases as investigations are ongoing.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...school-send-out-alerts-after-kidnapping-scare
