BARBERTON – The case of the ‘missing grade one’ pupil whose classmates had reportedly seen her abduction take place yesterday, has been classified as unconfirmed.
This means that no search for the girl will continue until further notice.
Bossie’s Community Justice’s Mr Albert Gryvenstein explained how the search came about and why it will not continue.
“We received a call from Laerskool Barberton yesterday afternoon. According to the school’s management, an abduction had been reported.” According to Gryvenstein, three pupils had seen an abduction take place at about 13:30. “Two were in grade one and the other in grade six.”
The girls’ reports held that an African male had abducted the blonde grade one pupil by shoving her into a blue Volkswagen Polo. “He was apparently wearing tracksuit pants and a striped shirt,” said Gryvenstein.
Armed with only this information, the police, community members and security companies launched a search.
Read more on the search here.
Hi-Tech Barberton involved officials from all over the Lowveld in the search. According to Hi-Tech’s Mr Callum Mac Pherson, the security company’s units were deployed in Barberton, White River, Hazyview and Dullstroom. “We also covered the route between Nelspruit and Barberton as well as towards Kaapshehoop. Roads were blocked and searches conducted in the area between Barberton and Kaapmuiden and Lowe’s Creek was also part of our search area,” he said.
However, by 17:00, no parents or guardians had reported that their child failed to return home from school.
According to Gryvenstein the school’s principal, Mr Robert Naudé, ensured that all of the pupils’ parents were telephoned in order to ascertain the identity of the missing child. “Each of the school’s pupils’ parents were telephoned and no parent indicated that he or she was missing a child,” he said. Gryvenstein left Barberton at 22:00 last night having confirmed this.
“Without an actual missing child’s report, we cannot continue with the search and have to consider the incident as unconfirmed,” he said.
Mac Pherson said that Hi-Tech Security held the same position.
