SAPS warn against false child abduction videos circulating on social media

Horrific videos depicting cases of child kidnappings and abductions have flooded social media platforms over the last few weeks, causing hysteria.

Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, to name a few, have seen a massive spike in videos, voice clips and images of young children being taken, which have been shared across the globe.

In response, the South African Police Service has done some digging, trying to confirm if these incidents did or did not occur in any part of South Africa.

#sapsHQ #SAPS noted with great concern spike in video clips on social media platforms depicted cases of child kidnappings & abduction. #SAPS been trying to confirm if those depictions did or did not occur in SA as many incidents were not reported. SWhttps://t.co/o90z1XUUts pic.twitter.com/XhMZkF2Xzv

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) September 7, 2018

SAPS confirmed that to this day, there is no evidence that suggests that these incidents happened in South Africa, nor are they actually legitimate cases of child abduction.

“By now, besides reporting this to the police, one would have expected at least a family would have come forward to publicly confirm at least one of those videos to be legitimate,” said Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.

“Secondly the police will never know that these incidents really happened if they are not officially reported.

“The only reasonable conclusion we can draw from this is that these videos are hoaxes.”

SAPS suggested that some of the videos may even be re-enactments as they are conveniently taken in a way that neither the location nor any other information can be ascertained.

“We are appealing to social media users to act responsibly and verify information before posting, as such content does nothing more than cause unnecessary panic and paranoia among our communities,” said Naidoo.

Also read: Tips on abduction and kidnapping prevention

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

While the recent social media posts remain unconfirmed, it is a reality that children do go missing, and 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 may have 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.

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

Alternatively contact your local SAPS: Umhlali 032-947 9900, Tongaat 032-944 9901, or KwaDukuza 032-551 8287.

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