Negligent parents allow daughter to visit stranger
The daughter told her parents she met a friend on social media and was going to visit her last week Friday afternoon.
Police in Mamelodi urged parents to take care when it comes to their children’s interactions on social media.
This was after a 15-year-old girl was allowed to visit a “friend” she or her parents had never met before.
She subsequently went missing for at least two days.
Police spokesperson Captain Johannes Maheso said the girl told her parents she met a friend on social media and was going to visit her last week Friday afternoon.
He said the police and other law enforcement talk about the issues of safety among children almost every day and strongly advise parents to know the whereabouts of their children.
“The parents allowed the child to go visit a new friend without doing proper investigations on the background of the friend.
“The parents did not check the address of where their child was visiting, nor taking contact details, or speak to the friend’s parent and did not bother to drive the child to the friend’s place,” said Maheso.
Maheso said the child was allowed to leave on Friday afternoon and an Uber driver came to fetch her.
“The last communication with their daughter was on Friday afternoon and from Saturday and Sunday her cellphone was off and on Monday morning they reported her missing.”
The child returned home on Monday afternoon and told her parents she could not communicate with them but she was fine.
“Even when they say they are going to visit a friend or going to a party parents need to verify that at all times by driving them to their friend’s place,” he said.
“We are not taking this case lightly since a missing person case was opened, we will continue with the investigations to verify if the child was not harmed or abused.”
He said parents need to take these things very seriously. “We can’t allow a minor to go on her own and visit strangers.
“Parents need to monitor their children at all times, who they play with and also to check their room for unwanted things such as drugs,” he said.
“We have child protection programmes whereby we work with other law enforcement and teach children about human trafficking, rights of children and what as children they are not allowed to do and hand out pamphlets to give parents at home,” said Maheso.
If parents are struggling to control their children they can always seek help from the police and social workers and report them at their schools.
ALSO READ:
Pre-school children in Mamelodi East learn about safety
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
