‘Unfounded’ social media posts a growing concern for police

Rumours of the abduction of children have been doing the rounds of late, and the South Coast is no exception.

According to recent social media reports, which were quickly debunked, two local school children were said to have been ‘targeted’, apparently for abduction.

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In response, the South African Police Service has issued a formal statement, warning against such scare-mongering:

“Saps has noted with great concern the spike in video clips on various social media platforms which, in recent times, have depicted cases of child kidnappings and abduction.

“The police have noticed the postings going viral and have been trying to confirm if those depictions did or did not occur in any part of South Africa.

“To this day, there is no evidence that suggests, firstly, that these incidents happened in South Africa and, secondly, that these incidents are actually legitimate. By now, besides reporting this to the police, one would have expected at least one family would have come forward to confirm publicly that at least one of those videos is legitimate.

“Secondly, the police will never know that these incidents really happened if they are not officially reported. Therefore the only reasonable conclusion we can draw from this is that these videos are hoaxes,” read the statement, issued by Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.

The statement added that some of these videos might even be re-enactments as they are conveniently taken in a way that neither the location nor any other can be determined.

Brigadier Naidoo appealed to social media users to act responsibly and verify information before posting or sharing, as such posts cause unnecessary panic and paranoia among communities.

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

“The South African Police Service assures the community that continuous awareness and educational talks on the safety of our children are done at various institutions, including schools. While the recent social media postings remain unconfirmed, it is a reality that children do go missing. Therefore, parents and guardians are urged to exercise vigilance at all times,” said Brig Naidoo

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.

“Discuss your concerns and let us make informed decisions before posting on social media. Members of the community may call the police’s Crime Stop number, 08600 10111 and all information received will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.”

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